Avalanche Farm Report - Dec. 12

Prospect Spotlight: Alex Beaucage

Colorado Eagles

The Colorado Eagles lost 4-3 in overtime to San Diego Gulls on Saturday to wrap up a three-game road trip.
After racing out to a 2-0 lead--A.J. Greer and Anton Lindholm picked up an assist on the first goal of the game by Julien Nantel, and Jayson Megna scored the second tally--San Diego responded with three straight markers to take the lead. Shane Bowers tied the game with 2:31 left in the third period, thanks in part to Greer's second assist of the night, but the Gulls prevailed in overtime.
Hunter Miska stopped 40 of 44 shots on the night and now has a 3-3-3 record with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage on the season. Adam Werner was the backup goalie.
The Eagles made a couple transactions with the Avalanche this past week, as T.J. Tynan was returned from on loan, while Werner went up to Denver and dressed in two NHL games last week as the backup to Pavel Francouz.
The Eagles (10-10-2-0) are in fourth place in the Pacific Division and play San Diego again in a back-to-back set at home on Friday and Saturday at the Budweiser Events Center.
Upcoming Games
Dec. 13 vs. San Diego Gulls
Dec. 14 vs. San Diego Gulls
Dec. 17 vs. Manitoba Moose
Dec. 18 vs. Manitoba Moose

Utah Grizzlies

Utah split back-to-back games on the road against the Rapid City Rush last weekend, dropping the first 5-4 in overtime on Friday before responding with a 3-0 win on Saturday. Ty Lewis recorded two assists in the first game and Brandon Saigeon had a goal and an assist in Saturday's shutout. Saigeon has nine points (four goals, five assists) in 15 games and Lewis has four (one goal, three assists) in seven contest.
The Grizzlies fell 4-3 in overtime to the Newfoundland Growlers on Wednesday. Utah received some reinforcements from the AHL Eagles the previous day as Josh Anderson and Travis Barron were assigned across the Rockies.
The Grizzlies (9-8-4) are 4-1-3 in their last seven outing and play two more games against the Growlers on Friday and Saturday before traveling to play the Wichita Thunder on Tuesday.

NCAA

Boston College: Boston College won two straight games against No. 7 Notre Dame on Friday and Sunday by 4-0 and 6-1 scores, respectively. Alex Newhook and Drew Helleson earned an assist on the same goal in Friday's shutout. After 15 games, Newhook has 12 points (six goals, six assists) and Helleson has five points (one goal, four assists) in 15 games. After Saturday's outing, Newhook left to participate in Hockey Canada's Selection Camp for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship. The Eagles (11-4-0) are off until Jan. 4 when they face Vermont.
University of Notre Dame: Conversely, the Irish lost its last two to ninth-ranked Boston College, extending its skid to five games. Prospects Nick Leivermann, Cam Morrison or Nate Clurman did not register a point over the weekend, but Leivermann had seven combined shots on goal over both games while Morrison had six. The two players led the Irish in shots in the second contest with five apiece. Clurman had one shot each game. This season, Morrison has 12 points (three goals, nine assists), Leivermann has seven points (three goals, four assists) and Clurman has five assists. They've all skated in 13 games. Notre Dame (8-6-2) plays Penn State at home on Friday and Saturday this weekend
Sampo Ranta (University of Minnesota): Sampo Ranta scored to give Minnesota a lead early in the third period, but the Gophers eventually lost 3-2 to Ohio State on Friday. Ranta tied for the team-lead in shots on goal (five) on Saturday as the Gophers and Buckeyes tied 1-1, but UM picked up the extra conference point by winning in double-overtime. Ranta leads his team with seven goals and is tied for the points lead (11). Minnesota (5-9-4) is off until Dec. 28 when the school plays Bemidji State. Ranta is currently at Finland's training camp ahead of the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Denis Smirnov (Penn State University): Denis Smirnov turned in a two-point night (one goal, one assist) in Penn State's 3-1 win over Michigan on Saturday, one night after the Nittany Lions fell 4-1 to the Wolverines to start the back-to-back set. Smirnov had two shots on goal in the loss. Smirnov has 15 points (six goals, nine assists), tied for fourth on the team. No. 6 Penn State (12-5-0) travels to South Bend on Friday and Saturday to play Notre Dame.
Matthew Stienburg (Cornell University): Matthew Stienburg did not skate in either of Cornell's games last weekend as he's out with an injury. The Big Red beat Harvard 3-1 on Friday and then fell 2-1 to Dartmouth on Saturday for its first loss of the season. Cornell (10-1-0) is off until Jan. 3 when the school faces Ohio State in the Fortress Invitational in Las Vegas. Stienburg has an assist in nine games this year.
Tyler Weiss (University of Nebraska Omaha): Tyler Weiss earned two assists in Nebraska Omaha's 4-3 loss to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, tying him for the team lead in helpers with nine. The Mavericks lost the first contest to Minnesota Duluth, 6-3 on Friday in a game that Weiss had a blocked shot. Weiss is second on the team with 11 points this season (two goals, nine assists) after 13 games. Nebraska Omaha (6-6-2) travels to play St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday.

QMJHL

Alex Beaucage (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies): Alex Beaucage recorded a hat trick in a five-point outing (three goals, two assists) during the Huskies' 7-6 overtime win over Rimouski on Saturday. Beaucage has a team-leading 41 points (24 goals, 17 assists) in 31 games. Rouyn-Noranda (16-12-2-1) has a home-and-home set against the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Friday and Saturday, followed by another home-and-home against the same opponent when they return to action after the Holiday break.
WHL
Vancouver Giants: Bowen Byram earned two assists in the Giants' 4-1 win over the Tri City Americans on Sunday, bringing him to 19 points (three goals, 16 assists) in 27 games this year. Byram also had three shots on goal in Vancouver's 2-1 loss to the Spokane Chiefs on Friday. Trent Miner was the backup goalie for both outings last week. He's 6-6-2 this year with a 3.04 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage. The Giants (14-13-2) this week play the Everett Silvertips on Saturday, the Prince George Cougars on Tuesday and the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday. Byram is currently at Canada's selection camp for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Luka Burzan (Brandon Wheat Kings): Burzan had three shots on goal in Brandon's 5-4 overtime loss to the Kamloops Blazers on Friday. The Wheat Kings dropped their second game of the week on Tuesday, falling 2-1 in a shootout. Burzan is still second on the team in points with 30 (12 goals, 18 assists) in 31 games. Brandon (13-15-3) plays the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday and the Winnipeg ICE on Tuesday.

Sasha Mutala (Tri-City Americans): Sasha Mutala recorded an assist on the Americans' lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Giants on Sunday. He also had three shots in his team's 4-3 loss to the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. Mutala leads the Americans with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 26 games this year. Tri-City (12-12-3) plays the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday, then the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday before a rematch with Seattle next Tuesday. The T-Birds finish the busy week on Wednesday against the Everett Silvertips.

USHL

Shamil Shmakov (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders): Shamil Shmakov was not on the bench for either of Cedar Rapids' games last weekend. The RoughRiders dropped both games of a home-and-home set against the Chicago Steel, losing by a score of 4-2 on Friday and 4-3 at home on Saturday. Shmakov is 4-3-0 this year--his last game was on Nov. 28--and posts a 3.03 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Cedar Rapids (10-11-1) plays Sioux Falls on Friday and Saturday.

Finland

Justus Annunen (Karpat): Justus Annunen is 11-0-2 this year, with a .947 save percentage, 1.26 goals-against average, five shutouts and two assists. Karpat (21-4-3) lost 4-1to HIFK on Saturday, two days after beating KooKoo 6-3. Karpat also picked up a win on Wednesday, 2-1, against HPK. Karpat plays Sport on Saturday in its next game. Annunen did not play in any of the games as he's with Team Finland at its training camp for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Russia

Sergei Boikov (Dynamo Moscow): Sergei Boikov hasn't played since Nov. 16 when he scored a goal in a 4-2 win over Sibir; he has two markers in nine games this year. Dynamo picked up a 4-0 win over Lokomotiv Yaroslavl on Friday before falling 3-2 in a shootout on Monday. Dynamo Moscow (21-12-4) next plays Jokerit Helsinki on Tuesday.
Nikolai Kovalenko (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl): Nikolai Kovalenko assisted on the tying goal in Lokomotiv's 3-2 shootout win over Severstal on Sunday. He skated 17:33 in Lokomotiv's 4-0 loss to Dynamo Moscow on Friday. Kovalenko has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 34 games this season, more than doubling his total from last year in one more game (five goals and one assist in 33 games). Lokomotiv (20-16-1) plays Dinamo Minsk on Tuesday.
Danila Zhuravlyov (Ak Bars Kazan): Danila Zhuravlyov skated 13:47 in Ak Bars Kazan's 3-0 loss to Avangard on Sunday. Zhuravlyov scored the tying goal in the 4-3 win over Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod Region on Friday, his first goal of the season. He now has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 30 games. Ak Bars Kazan (27-7-0-2) is off until Dec. 19 when its play Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Zhuravlyov is currently training with the Russian national team for the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship.