Before this week begins, it's time for our weekly check-in on the Flyers' prospects playing in the AHL, overseas and at the junior and college levels.
In this edition, we'll take a look at two collegiate players who enjoyed breakout weekends, an update on the Flyers' top goalie prospect and much more.
Tanner Laczynski, C, 20, 6-1/190, Ohio State (NCAA)
It was a quiet start for Laczynski, who stormed onto the scene in the first half of his freshman campaign in 2016-17 before cooling down, but the sophomore is heating up.
Laczynski had a pair of multi-point games over the weekend as Ohio State swept Robert Morris with a 5-3 win Friday night and a 3-1 victory Saturday. Laczynski has three straight multi-point games, racking up eight points over the three-game span.
On Saturday, Laczynski broke a 1-1 tie late in the third period with his first of two on the night - the second was an empty-netter to seal the victory. Friday, with the Buckeyes down 2-0, he scored his first marker of the season. He also had two helpers in the 5-3 win. Laczynski now has nine points in eight games for the team lead.
Cooper Marody, C, 20, 6-1/185, Michigan (NCAA)
Marody, one of two Flyers prospects playing for the Wolverines, had a breakout weekend against No. 15 Penn State with a pair of three-point contests. Michigan split the weekend series, losing 5-4, in overtime Friday night and winning 5-2, Saturday.
Friday, Marody tallied his first goal of the season and added two assists. Marody assisted on both of Dexter Dancs' two goals. It was Dancs' first career multi-goal game. Marody's first helper came with two Nittany Lions on him before making a sweet pass to Dancs. Marody then broke a 3-3 tie in the third, sniping PSU goalie Peyton Jones.
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CLIP: Cooper Marody's snipe gives U-M a 4-3 lead 5:59 into the third period.#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/71rK4HHQiq— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 28, 2017
Then on Saturday, Marody picked up three assists - two primary and one secondary. The junior had just one point in his first four games before his six-point weekend. He now leads Michigan with seven points in six games, though it's a bit inflated.
Oskar Lindblom, LW, 21, 6-1/192, Lehigh Valley (AHL)
It was only a matter of time before Lindblom would begin to heat up in North America, and it just so happened to be last week. The 21-year-old Swede had a five-point and a four-game point streak week after going pointless in his first six games of the season.
Lindblom netted his first marker of the campaign, a tap-in goal after driving hard toward the net, in the Phantoms' 5-2 win Friday night over Springfield. He also had an assist.
GIF: Oskar Lindblom goes to the net like he always does & this time he gets rewarded w/ his 1st of the season to give #LVPhantoms 4-1 lead. pic.twitter.com/38lKKp8tcJ— Tony Androckitis (@TonyAndrock) October 28, 2017
The 2014 fifth-round pick also picked up a goal and an assist in Lehigh Valley's 5-4 loss Saturday to the Wolf Pack. He now has multi-point games in back-to-back contests.
Quick hits
• Mike Vecchione had an assist in each of the Phantoms' three games last week. He's now riding a seven-game point streak and has 10 points in 10 games this season.
• Mikhail Vorobyev had two assists last week and now has four in his last six games. He's still seeking his first AHL goal but has five assists in 10 games.
• Philippe Myers returned Friday after missing two games with a lower-body injury. He had a goal and an assist Saturday in Lehigh Valley's 5-4 loss to Hartford.
• Alex Lyon made two starts. Lyon made 25 saves in the Phantoms' 3-2 overtime win Wednesday over Springfield, but he allowed five goals on 31 shots Saturday.
• Carter Hart is nearing a return from mono. The Everett goalie returned to practice last week but didn't play. He could return this week. He's played just two games this season as he's dealt with Mono.
• German Rubtsov had his second-ever two-goal game in the QMJHL on Saturday night during Chicoutimi's 8-2 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand.
• Morgan Frost had a four-point weekend for Sault Ste. Marie, scoring a goal Friday and recording his second three-point game of the season - two goals and an assist.
• Maksim Sushko's six-game point streak came to an end Sunday. Sushko had a goal Friday and an assist Saturday, however. He had 10 points during his six-game streak.
• Hamilton winger Matthew Strome scored his fifth goal of the season Sunday.
• Isaac Ratcliffe had a goal and an assist in Guelph's 5-4 loss to Erie on Saturday.
• Kitchener captain Connor Bunnaman had a goal Friday and an assist Sunday. Bunnaman has 10 points in 13 games this season.
• It was another big week for Kelowna's Carsen Twarynski. Twarynski had two goals and an assist Friday and a goal Saturday. He has seven points in his last three games.
• Wisconsin freshman defenseman Wyatt Kalynuk is still searching for his first collegiate goal after he twice lost goals because of scoring changes over the weekend. Instead, the lefty will have to settle with two two-assist games for the No. 6 Badgers.
• Marody's teammate Brendan Warren registered his second goal of the season Saturday night in Michigan's win over Penn State.
• Kirill Ustimenko, a 2017 third-round pick, had a 15-save shutout Sunday. He now has stopped 51 of 53 shots in his last three games. Ustimenko this season has a 1.49 goals-against average and .928 save percentage with four shutouts.
