Avalanche Farm Report: Feb. 12

Spotlight On: Max McCormick, LW, Colorado Eagles
Max McCormick registered his first point with the Colorado Eagles on Saturday as he assisted on a Tyson Jost tally in a 6-2 loss to the Stockton Heat. The forward was acquired by the Colorado Avalanche in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday and made his debut with the Eagles on Friday.

Before the transaction, the 26-year-old left wing split time between playing for Ottawa and its AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators. In 20 outings with Belleville, McCormick recorded 12 points (seven goals, five assists) and he notched one goal in 14 contests with the Senators.
McCormick was selected in the sixth round (171st overall) by Ottawa at the 2011 NHL draft and is in his fifth season of professional hockey.

Colorado Eagles

The Eagles extended their win streak to three games this weekend before dropping one on Saturday. The team played in back-to-back contests against the Stockton Heat, winning 4-2 on Friday and falling 6-2 the following day.
On Friday, the Heat took an early lead with two tallies in the first period. Colorado held its opponents scoreless after that, as Nicolas Meloche and Dominic Toninato assisted on a marker less than a minute into the middle frame, sparking the first of four unanswered goals for the Eagles. Andrew Agozzino notched two short-handed goals in the victory, his 19th and 20th tallies of the season, and stands tied for second in the AHL with three short-handed goals this season. Logan O'Connor registered his 12th assist on Agozzino's first score in the outing while Mason Geertsen and Scott Kosmachuk were also credited with helpers in the clash. Colorado outshot Stockton 27-24 as goaltender Pavel Francouz stopped 22 shots in the win.
The following outing saw Max McCormick earn his first point with Colorado, an assist, as his new club fell 6-2 to Stockton. O'Connor and Tyson Jost both found the back of the net in the middle frame, with David Warsofsky racking up assists on both markers. It was O'Connor's fifth short-handed goal and he continues to lead the AHL in the category. It also extended his point streak to five games (two goals, three assists). McCormick's helper came on Jost's tally while Agozzino registered his 25th apple of the year on O'Connor's marker. The Eagles shut down three of the Heat's four power-play opportunities while netminder Spencer Martin made 28 saves.
Ryan Graves, Anton Lindholm and A.J. Greer all spent time with the Avalanche this week while Sergei Boikov split time with the Eagles and the Utah Grizzlies.
Upcoming Games
Feb. 12 vs. San Diego Gulls
Feb. 13 vs. San Diego Gulls
Feb. 16 at Stockton Heat

Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)

The Grizzlies extended their point streak to seven games this week (6-0-1) as they won three in a row over the Idaho Steelheads.
Julien Nantel and Josh Dickinson both put up multi-point performances on Wednesday, as Utah topped Idaho 4-1. Dickinson assisted on both of Nantel's markers and Nantel registered his third point on the final goal of the evening, a power-play tally late in the third stanza. Sergei Boikov skated in his first game of the year with the Grizzlies in the win.
Dickinson extended his point streak to five games on Friday with an assist in a 4-3 victory over the Steelheads. Nantel finished the night with a game-high seven shots on goal. On Saturday, Josh Anderson notched a helper on the game-winning goal, the defenseman's fourth assist of the season, to lift his team 4-2 over Idaho.
Through 48 games, the Utah Grizzlies (30-12-4) stand second in the Western Conference and fourth overall in the ECHL. Next up, the Grizzlies take on the Kansas City Mavericks in back-to-back battles starting on Friday.

NCAA

University of Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish did not see any action this week but return to the ice on Tuesday against the University of Michigan. Freshman defenseman Nate Clurman has registered two assists through 26 games while fellow first-year rear guard Nick Leivermann has notched two points (one goal, one assist) in 17 outings this year. Cam Morrison has generated 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in his junior season with the team.
Shane Bowers (Boston University): Bowers and the Terriers competed in the 67th Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden this week. After dropping the first contest in overtime against Northeastern, BU faced off against Harvard on Monday in the consolation game and lost 5-2. Bowers did not reach the scoresheet in the loss but won 6-of-13 faceoffs. On Friday night, the Terriers fell 4-2 to UMass as Bowers notched a short-handed goal with less than a minute left in the outing, extending his point streak to three games (one goal, two assists). BU returns to the ice on Friday to begin a home-and-home set against University of Connecticut.
Cale Makar (University of Massachusetts): No. 2 ranked UMass went 1-1-0 in back-to-back games this weekend. Makar recorded an assist in Friday's 4-2 victory over Boston University but Saturday's clash was less successful for the Minutemen, as they fell 2-0 at UMass Lowell's home barn. In his sophomore season, Makar has produced 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 27 games and ranks second on the team for scoring. UMass will face off against Boston College on Friday to begin a home-and-home series.
Sampo Ranta (University of Minnesota): The Gophers dropped a two-game set against Penn State University this week, losing 7-2 on Friday and 6-2 on Saturday. Ranta did not reach the scoresheet in either outing but the freshman has racked up 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 28 games this year. The Gophers are back in action in Columbus on Friday to battle the Ohio State University Buckeyes.
Denis Smirnov (Penn State University): Penn State swept the University of Minnesota in a back-to-back series this weekend. Smirnov recorded two shots on goal and a plus-1 rating in Friday's 7-2 victory over the Gophers and registered an assist on Saturday, helping his team to a 6-2 win against Minnesota. He has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 26 clashes this season. The Nittany Lions head to Michigan State this weekend to compete in a two-game set starting on Friday.
Tyler Weiss (University of Nebraska Omaha): Weiss continued scoring this weekend as the Mavericks split a back-to-back series against University of Miami Ohio. On Friday, the freshman recorded an assist on a power-play goal in the second period, the first tally of a 3-0 victory over Miami Ohio. Although his team dropped the following outing 4-2, Weiss registered another helper and has now reached the scoresheet in each of his past three contests. The left wing has generated six points (two goals, four assists) in 17 clashes with Nebraska. The team will return to action when it hosts St. Cloud State on Feb. 22.

OHL

Brandon Saigeon (Oshawa Generals): Saigeon extended his point streak to seven games this week as he registered four points (two goals, two assists) in three outings. The forward recorded an assist on Thursday as his team beat his former club, the Hamilton Bulldogs, in a 4-3 shootout victory. After adding the helper on a power-play goal to tie the game, the forward took the first shot for the Generals in the shootout, finding the back of the net to gain an early lead in the game-determining action. On Friday against the Erie Otters, Saigeon registered another helper. Like Thursday, the assist came on the game-tying goal that sent the game into overtime where Oshawa scored 1:44 into the extra period to secure the 4-3 win. The Avalanche prospect then lit the lamp twice in Sunday's 4-1 victory over the Barrie Colts. With 35 goals and 47 assists this season, Saigeon ranks seventh in the OHL for scoring and is tied for third with 15 power-play tallies. The Generals return to action on Wednesday to take on the Peterborough Petes.

WHL

Nick Henry (Lethbridge Hurricanes): Henry skated in three contests with the Hurricanes this week, finishing with a three-point performance on Saturday. On Tuesday, the right wing skated against his former team, the Regina Pats, but did not reach the scoresheet in a 2-1 shootout loss. He took Lethbridge's first attempt in the skills competition but his shot was denied. The Hurricanes' next outing on against the Moose Jaw Warriors was also sent into overtime, but the Warriors scored 35 seconds into the extra period to earn a 4-3 victory. Henry notched three assists in Saturday's contest against the Prince Albert Raiders, but his club still fell 6-5. It was the 10th time this season that Henry has registered three or more points in a single game. With 72 points (20 goals, 52 assists) in 54 games split between the Pats and Hurricanes, Henry is tied for second in the WHL for assists and shares eighth in the league for overall scoring. The Hurricanes are back on the ice on Wednesday to host the Calgary Hitmen.

Russia

Nikolai Kovalenko (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL): Lokomotiv Yaroslavl shutout its Dinamo Minsk in a 3-0 victory on Monday. Kovalenko dressed for his club and logged 13:02 of ice time. The forward has generated six points (five goals, one assist) in 30 games this season, his first full year with the team. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's upcoming matchup against Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod is slated for Wednesday.
Danila Zhuravlyov (Bars Kazan, VHL): Zhuravlov added two more points to his season total this week as Bars Kazan went 1-1-0. On Friday, the defenseman notched an assist on the second goal in a 7-2 rout against Rubin Tyumen. He recorded another helper in Sunday's matchup against Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk although the team fell 5-2. It was the first time this season the Avalanche prospect has registered points in consecutive games. He has been credited with three assists through 34 outings this year. Bars Kazan will play its next match against Dynamo St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
Shamil Shmakov (Sibirskie Snaipery, MHL): Shmakov served as backup in two contests this week as Sibirskie Snaipery split a two-game set with Sputnik Almetyevsk. On Friday, the team fell 1-0 but reversed its luck the following night, beating its opponent in a 2-0 shutout. Shmakov has played in 19 tilts this season and owns a 2.60 goals-against average along with a .916 save percentage. Looking forward, Sibirskie Snaipery meets Reaktor Nizhnekamsk on Wednesday.

Czech Republic

Petr Kvaca (Ceske Budejovice, Czech 2): Ceske Budejovice beat AZ Residomo Havirov 9-2 on Sunday, the lone game the team played this week. Kvaca did not play but holds a 1.75 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage through 15 matchups with the club this season. Up next, Ceske Budejovice returns to action on Wednesday.

Finland

Justus Annunen (Hermes, Mestis): The Mestis league was on a break this week but resumes its schedule on Wednesday. Through 17 battles, Annunen sports a 2.65 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage to go along with an 11-5-0 record.

Sweden

Adam Werner (Farjestad BK, SHL): Farjestad BK did not see any game action this week but is set to return to game action on Wednesday. Werner has played in 19 outings this season for the club, producing a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
Gustav Olhaver (Tingsryds AIF, Allsvenskan): Tingsryds dropped two games this week. On Wednesday, the team fell 7-1 to IK Oskarshamn, Olhaver's former club. Sunday's game was a close battle into overtime, but Tingsryds lost 4-3 in the extra period. Olhaver skated in both outings with the team and has produced eight points (four goals, four assists) in 43 contests this season. The team returns to the ice on Wednesday against AIK.