Avalanche Farm Report: March 5

Spotlight On: Nick Henry, RW, Lethbridge (WHL)

Henry is presently on a seven-game point streak, registering five goals and eight assists in that time with the Hurricanes. He is third among all WHL skaters in assists with 61 on the campaign.
The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, native was selected by the Avalanche in the fourth round (94th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft.

Colorado Eagles

The Colorado Avalanche's AHL affiliate caught fire this week with four consecutive victories. The hot streak started last Tuesday with a 5-3 win against the San Antonio Rampage. Dominic Toninato (two goals, two assists) and A.J. Greer (one goal, two assists) led the way with multi-point performances, while Andrew Agozzino and Max McCormick each added a marker as well. David Warsofsky, Mason Geertsen, Mark Alt and Logan O'Connor each contributed helpers, while goalie Pavel Francouz made 36 stops in the victory.
The following night, the Eagles put on an offensive showcase, winning 6-0 behind a hat trick and helper from Andrew Agozzino and multi-point nights from Alt (three assists), Greer (one goal, one assist), O'Connor (two assists) and Scott Kosmachuk (two assists). Toninato and Warsofsky also added goals, as Julien Nantel and Nicholas Meloche recorded an assist each. Francouz stopped 30 shots in his second shutout of the season. The special teams units went 2-for-5 on the power play and stopped all four San Antonio man advantages.
On Saturday, Colorado kicked off a back-to-back set against the Tucson Roadrunners and won 3-2 in overtime. Warsofsky scored the overtime-winner and led the team in points with O'Connor, as both skaters notched a goal and an assist. Sergei Boikov added a marker and Geertsen, Agozzino, Nantel and McCormick added helpers of their own. Francouz made a season-high 43 saves en route to his 20th victory of the season between the pipes.
Colorado's hot week concluded with a 2-1 win against the Roadrunners on Sunday as Meloche and McCormick reached the back of the net for the Eagles. Agozzino extended his current point streak (nine goals, eight assists) to a season-long 10 games while O'Connor registered an assist to stretch his point streak to four contests (one goal, five assists). Francouz got the start and once again picked up the win with a 30-save outing.

On Monday, the AHL announced that Francouz was named the league's player of the week after we went 4-0-0 with a 1.48 goals-against average and .959 save percentage. He stopped 139 of the 145 shots he faced in the four contests.
The Eagles' four wins and sweep of the Roadrunners put them in a playoff spot. Colorado currently holds the final spot for the postseason from the Pacific Division, three points up on fifth-place Tucson.
Upcoming Games
March 8 at San Diego Gulls
March 9 at San Diego Gulls
March 12 vs. Ontario Reign

Utah Grizzlies

The Grizzlies went 1-1-1 in three games this week, all against the Maine Mariners. The club fell 4-1 on Wednesday as goaltender Joe Cannata made 24 saves in the loss. As a team, Utah successfully killed all five penalties it took.
On Friday, the team fell 4-3 in a shootout with the penalty-kill unit going perfect once again, this time denying 12 Maine man advantages. Josh Dickinson netted a goal and Cannata made 35 saves in the loss.
Dickinson reached the back of the net for the second consecutive night in a 4-3 overtime win for the Grizzlies on Saturday and now has 25 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in 28 games played in the ECHL this season. Cannata stopped 32 shots in his 15th win of the season for Utah.
The Grizzlies are third in the Mountain Division and fifth in the Western Conference with a 32-18-7 record and 71 points.

NCAA

University of Notre Dame: Cam Morrison and Nate Clurman both played in Notre Dame's back-to-back set against Penn State to finish the Big Ten regular-season slate. Morrison totaled two helpers in a 5-4 overtime win on Friday, a game that saw the Fighting Irish score four answered goals to pick up the comeback victory. Both skaters were held off the scoresheet in the 3-2 loss to the Nittany Lions on Saturday, though Morrison recorded a team-high five shots on goal. Morrison finished the regular season with 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists) to share fifth place on the club in scoring. Clurman totaled two helpers in 33 games during the collegiate season while Nick Leivermann, who didn't play in either contest this past weekend, has a goal and an assist in 20 appearances during his freshman campaign. The Fighting Irish will face off against Michigan State in the best-of-three quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament starting on Friday. Notre Dame was 3-0-0-1 in four contests against the Spartans during the regular season.

Shane Bowers (Boston University): The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native recorded points in both games for the Terriers this past week. Bowers netted a goal in a 1-1 tie against Providence on Thursday and added a helper in a 5-1 victory over Merrimack on Saturday. The sophomore has totaled 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 32 games this year. Boston University finishes the regular season with a showdown against the University of Maine on Friday.
Cale Makar (University of Massachusetts): Makar extended his current point streak to four games (three goals, three assists) after recording points in both contests for the No. 2-ranked Minutemen this week. The Hobey Baker Award hopeful helped UMass clinch its first-ever Hockey East regular season title with two markers and an assist in a 4-2 victory over Merrimack on Thursday. Makar, who leads the school in scoring, added a helper in a 6-0 whitewash of the University of Maine to push his season total to 40 points (13 goals, 27 assists), tied for the second-most among NCAA defensemen and eighth overall. UMass concludes the Hockey East regular season on Friday against the University of Connecticut.
Sampo Ranta (University of Minnesota): The Finnish forward notched a goal in two games against Arizona State this week. The Golden Gophers swept the back-to-back set with a 5-1 win on Friday and a 5-2 victory the following night, with Ranta contributing his 13th point (five goals, eight assists) of the year in the latter of the two contests. Minnesota will host the University of Michigan in the best-of-three quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament beginning on Friday. The Gophers held a 2-1-1-0 record against the Wolverines in regular season play this year.
Denis Smirnov (Penn State University): The Nittany Lions split a back-to-back set against Notre Dame to finish the regular season. Smirnov reached the back of the net in a 5-4 overtime loss on Friday and had one shot in a 3-2 victory the next night. The Moscow, Russia, native finished his third regular season in the Big Ten with 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists). Penn State will host Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament this weekend. PSU went 1-2-0-1 against the Badgers during the main campaign.
Tyler Weiss (University of Nebraska Omaha): Weiss had a team-high three shots on goal in Omaha's 4-1 loss against the University of Denver on Friday and notched his first career multi-point game with two helpers in a 4-3 overtime loss against the Pioneers on Saturday. The freshman forward now has eight points (two goals, six assists) for the Mavericks this year. Nebraska Omaha concludes the regular season with a back-to-back set against the University of North Dakota starting on Friday.

OHL

Brandon Saigeon (Oshawa Generals): Saigeon added to his team lead in points with a goal and an assist in two contests this past week. The Grimsby, Ontario, native recorded a helper in Oshawa's 3-2 win against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Friday and added a marker in a 5-4 loss to the Sudbury Wolves the following day. Splitting time between the Oshawa Generals and Hamilton Bulldogs this season, Saigeon has recorded 87 points (37 goals, 50 assists) in 62 OHL contests. The Generals have clinched a playoff spot and are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 39-19-4 record and 82 points.

WHL

Nick Henry (Lethbridge Hurricanes): Henry is on a seven-game point streak (five goals, eight assists) and recorded three goals and three assists in four games for Lethbridge this past week. The Hurricanes fell 6-4 to the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday with Henry registering a goal, but the club reeled off three consecutive victories after the loss. The forward added a helper in a 5-4 overtime win against the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday and then had a goal and an assist in each of the club's next two contests, a 5-0 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday and a 4-1 victory at the Regina Pats on Saturday. Prior to Friday's game, Henry signed his first pro contract, inking a three-year, entry-level deal with the Avs. Saturday's matchup against the Pats marked the first time Henry played in Regina since being traded earlier this year. This season, Henry has accumulated 87 points (26 goals, 61 assists) in 64 games split between the Regina Pats and Lethbridge Hurricanes. Lethbridge is second in the WHL Central Division and third in the Eastern Conference with a 35-18-10 record and 80 points.

KHL

Nikolai Kovalenko (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl): The 19-year-old saw action in two of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl's three playoff games this week against Sochi. After a 3-0 win on Wednesday in Game 2 of the West Conference Quarterfinals, the club fell 3-2 in overtime on Friday. The team dropped a 3-1 contest in Game 4 on Sunday with Kovalenko out of the lineup. The best-of-seven series is tied at 2-2.

Russia Jr.

Danila Zhuravlyov (Irbis Kazan): Zhuravlyov's season with Bars Kazan of the Supreme Hockey League (VHL) came to an end on Feb. 23 after the team missed the playoffs by losing the tiebreaker in the standings. The Avs prospect continued playing hockey this past week as he skated in all four games with Irbis Kazan of the MHL (junior hockey). Irbis won each contest, defeating Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk 5-4 in a shootout on Tuesday before winning 7-0 on Wednesday. The team wrapped up the season with a 3-1 win against Sarmaty Orenburg on Saturday and 4-2 victory against the same team on Sunday. Irbis Kazan finished with 65 points, three points out of a playoff spot. During his VHL campaign, Zhuravlyov registered four helpers in 40 contests.
Shamil Shmakov (Sibirskie Snaipery): Shmakov's club went 1-0-1 in its two final contests of the regular season this past week. The Russian netminder served as the backup in a 6-2 win against Kuznetskie on Thursday and then made 23 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss to the same club on Friday. In 23 appearances with Sibirskie Snaipery this season, Shmakov posted a 7-11-1 record with a .915 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average.

Czech Republic

Petr Kvaca (Ceske Budejovice): Kvaca rounded out the regular season with a 22-save performance in a 4-3 loss to Robe Vestin on Tuesday. The club is now presently 1-1 in its first-round playoff series against AZ Havirov after a 5-2 win on Friday and a 3-0 loss on Sunday. Kvaca got the start in Game 2 and made 23 saves. In regular-season play, the netminder posted a 12-7 record, 1.76 goals-against average, .924 save percentage, three shutouts and two assists in 19 appearances.

Finland

Justus Annunen (Hermes, Mestis): In two starts between the pipes this week, Annunen helped Hermes get two wins. The club defeated LeKi 6-2 on Friday behind 28 saves from the Finnish netminder and beat Koovee 3-2 the next night as Annunen made 21 stops. In 21 regular season games, Annunen has posted a 12-8 record, 2.81 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

Sweden

Adam Werner (Farjestad BK, SHL): Werner saw action in one of Farjestad BK's three contests this week. The club beat Skelleftea 3-1 on Tuesday and fell 3-0 to Mora on Friday before beating Mora 8-3 the following night with Werner in net. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound goaltender made 22 saves in the win. Werner has a 14-6-2 record this season with a .926 save percentage, 2.07 goals-against average and three shutouts.
Gustav Olhaver (Tingsryds AIF, Allsvenskan): In two contests this week, Tingsryds AIF went 1-1-0 as Olhaver saw action in both games. The forward has totaled eight points (four goals, four assists) in 49 contests this season.