This week's Future Flyers Report covers the end of Reading's regular season, the final week of the Phantoms' first season in the Lehigh Valley and second-round CHL playoff action. Just one Flyer prospect has found the scoresheet in second-round play. See how tomorrow's Flyers have done following the jump.
Juniors:
Travis Sanheim, Radel Fazleev and the Calgary Hitmen won Game 3 of their second-round series against Medicine Hat on Monday, taking a 2-1 series lead. Sanheim currently has two goals and three assists in the series — including a goal in Monday's game. So far, Fazleev has just one assist. Game 4 is set for Wednesday in Medicine Hat, while the Hitmen will host the fifth game on Friday.
Tyrell Goulbourne's Kelowna Rockets are up 2-0 in their series with Victoria, winning 5-0 on Friday and 4-3 on Saturday. Goulbourne's been held scoreless all series, which will continue tonight and Wednesday in Victoria, B.C.
Samuel Morin is also scoreless in Rimouski Océanic's 1-1 series with the Gatineau Olympiques, but did not play the first game. The series continues tonight and Wednesday in Gatineau.
With his Val-d'or Foreurs down 2-0 in their series with Baie-Comeau, Nicolas Aubé-Kubel has also been held off the scoresheet. The Drakkar took the first game by a slim 3-2 margin, but thoroughly outclassed the Foreurs in Game 2, winning 9-1 thanks to a five-point effort from Jérémy Grégoire. Baie-Comeau will host Games 3 and 4 of the series tonight and Wednesday.
American League:
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms split a pair of weekend games with the Norfolk Admirals, winning 2-1 in a shootout on Friday and falling 3-2 in overtime on Saturday. Scott Laughton scored the lone regulation goal in Friday's game — his 12th of the season — and, along with Petr Straka, scored in the shootout.
Kevin Goumas and Blair Jones each scored in Saturday's overtime loss, their respective sixth and ninth tallies of the season. Rob Zepp made 33 of 34 saves on Friday, while Anthony Stolarz saved 31 of 34 pucks on Saturday.
The Phantoms (32-32-7-1) host Hershey tonight at 7:05, and close out their season with three weekend games in three days. As they close the book on a disappointing season, there are plenty of ways to shore them up for next year — including the possibility of dismissing coach Terry Murray.
ECHL:
The Reading Royals closed out their regular season with a split of two games with the Indy Fuel, losing 3-2 on Friday and winning 2-1 in a Saturday shootout. Sean Wiles and Kelvin Walrod scored goals number 24 and 10, respectively, on Friday, while Martin Ouellette turned in a 26-save-on-29-shot performance.
Maxim Lamarche scored the only regulation goal for the Royals on Saturday, while Ryan Cruthers, Pat Mullane and Adam Hughesman each scored in the shutout. Connor Knapp made 34 saves on 35 shots.
Next up for the Royals is the first round of the playoffs, where they face South Carolina — a team that had set an ECHL record with a 23-game win streak between Feb. 7 and March 27. Both teams played three games this season, with the Royals winning two of them — most recently a 2-1 victory in North Charleston on Jan. 24. The series is set to begin Friday at 7:05, with the Stingrays holding home-ice advantage.
Follow Rob Riches on Twitter @Riches61.
