Avalanche Farm Report: Dec. 4

Spotlight On: Shamil Shmakov, G, Sibirskie Snaipery (Russia Jr.)

The 6-foot-6, 194-pound netminder is on pace to record another strong season between the pipes. Through nine games, he has a 6-1-0 mark with a 1.58 goals-against average and has recorded a .945 save percentage.
Shmakov, who missed most of the start of the season with an injury, is coming off a perfect week where he went 3-0-0 and stopped 78 of the 83 total shots he faced.

Colorado Eagles

The Colorado Eagles needed shootouts to decide both games in a back-to-back set against the Iowa Wild last week. The Eagles prevailed 3-2 on Friday behind regulation goals from A.J. Greer and Travis Barron before Michael Joly and Martin Kaut tallied in the shootout. Mason Geertsen, Julien Nantel, Sergei Boikov and Anton Lindholm each added a helper, and goaltender Pavel Francouz made 27 saves in addition to stopping two-of-three shootout attempts to help the club to the win.
The following night, it was the Wild that pulled out the extra point in the tiebreaker, prevailing 3-2. Greer and Ty Lewis were the goal scorers for Colorado, with assists coming from Geertsen and Igor Shyvrev. Francouz made 34 saves before he stopped three-of-four shot attempts in the shootout. The Eagles couldn't find the back of the net in any of their four chances during the skills competition.
Colorado was 100 percent on the penalty kill during their two games this weekend. Iowa had six power-play opportunities on Friday and five man advantages on Saturday but were unsuccessful on each one. The Eagles hold a 10-7-4 record (24 points) in their first season as an AHL club and is presently third in the Pacific Division.
On Monday, Kaut was named to the Czech Republic's training camp roster for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. The under-20 tournament will be held Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia.
Upcoming Games:
Dec. 7 vs. San Diego Gulls
Dec. 8 vs. San Diego Gulls
Dec. 11 at Tucson Roadrunners
Dec. 12 at Tucson Roadrunners

Utah Grizzlies (ECHL)

The ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche went 1-1-1 this week. On Wednesday, the Utah Grizzlies fell 6-5 in a shootout to the Rapid City Rush. Josh Dickinson tallied a goal and an assist for Utah, his third and fourth points (two goals, two assists) in five games with the club. Goaltender Joe Cannata stopped 34 shots during the game and went two-for-three in the shootout.
Utah got the shootout win on Friday against Rapid City with a final score of 4-3. The Grizzlies capitalized on one-of-three attempts in the shootout to take home the win.
The two clubs finished their three-game series on Saturday, this time with the Grizzlies falling 3-0 to the Rush. Cannata stopped 23 shots in net for the visitors, and the Wakefield, Massachusetts, native now has a 7-3-2 record on the year, 2.53 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. His three shutouts on the season are tops among all ECHL goalies.
Utah is next in action with a back-to-back set at the Idaho Steelheads on Friday and Saturday.

NCAA

University of Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish won all three of their games this week thanks to solid performances from Avalanche prospects. Notre Dame beat Northern Michigan 2-1 in overtime on Tuesday behind an assist from Cam Morrison on the game-winner in the extra frame. On Friday, the club won the first game of a back-to-back set against RPI. Morrison tallied a goal and Nate Clurman added a helper for his first collegiate point. In the final outing of the week, the Irish prevailed against RPI again, this time with a 3-0 shutout. Morrison scored a goal and registered an assist, and Nick Leivermann added four shots on goal. Notre Dame will face off against Penn State on Friday and Saturday in their next action. Morrison on Monday was named the Big Ten's Third Star of the week and now has nine points (four goals and five assists) in 12 games this season.
Shane Bowers (Boston University): Shane Bowers recorded a point in two games for the Boston University Terriers this week. Bowers notched a power-play assist and two shots on goal in a 4-1 loss to Boston College on Friday, and he registered a shot in a 0-0 tie against the Golden Eagles on Saturday in the second game of the home-and-home set, which was also the first-ever tie in the Battle of Boston series. The center has five points (three goals, two assists) through 13 NCAA games this season. On Monday, Bowers was named to Canada's training camp roster for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Cale Makar (University of Massachusetts): The defenseman tallied two assists in the Minutemen's only contest of the week. The club defeated the University of Connecticut 7-4 on Friday to push its record to 12-1 this season and winning streak to nine games. Makar shares the team lead and ranks fourth among blueliners in the NCAA with 18 points (six goals, 12 assists) on the year. On Monday, UMass was ranked No. 2 in the country in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll and No. 1 overall in the USCHO poll, the first time in the program's history it had been in the top spot.
Sampo Ranta (University of Minnesota): The Golden Gophers fell in both games of a back-to-back series with Ohio State University this weekend, with both contests ending in double overtime and by 3-2 scores. Ranta recorded a goal in the Saturday game to push his season total to six points (three goals, three assists). The Gophers are next in action on Friday and Saturday when they take on the University of Michigan for two games in as many days. Ranta was named to Team Finland's training camp roster on Monday for the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Denis Smirnov (Penn State University): The Russian-born forward saw action in both of Penn State's games against Wisconsin this week. Smirnov registered two shots in a 4-3 shootout win against the Badgers on Friday and did not reach the scoresheet in an 8-5 loss the following night. The Nittany Lions will host Notre Dame in a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday in their next game action. Smirnov has three goals and five assists in 13 contests this year.
Tyler Weiss (University of Nebraska Omaha): Weiss appeared in both games for the Mavericks this week versus the Colorado College Tigers. The freshman contributed two shots on goal in a 4-3 shootout win against CC on Friday and added one shot the following night in a 6-3 loss. Weiss has played in each of the four games the past two weeks after missing the start of the season with an injury. Nebraska Omaha will return to the ice when the school travels to Minnesota for a two-game set against St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday.

OHL

Brandon Saigeon (Hamilton Bulldogs): Saigeon extended his point streak (four goals, five assists) to five games with points in all three of his appearances this past week. The Grimsby, Ontario, native reached the back of the net twice, including the game-winner on a power play, in the Bulldogs' 5-2 victory against the Mississauga Steelheads on Friday. Saigeon followed that performance with two helpers in a 3-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires the next night and finished his week with a goal in a 5-1 loss to the Niagara IceDogs on Sunday. The 6-foot-1, 197-pound center shares fifth place in the OHL with 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) on the year.

WHL

Nick Henry (Lethbridge Hurricanes): Henry was traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Thursday in a deal that involved four players and featured seven draft picks going to the Regina Pats over the next four years. The 19-year old played in all three games for Lethbridge this weekend after the transaction, totaling two helpers for his new club. Henry saw action in a 3-1 win against the Swift Current Broncos on Friday and then registered assists in the Hurricanes' 3-1 win against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday and 5-4 overtime victory against the Red Deer Rebels on Sunday. The Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, native now has 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) this year, with 40 (15 goals and 25 assists) coming in the first 25 contests with the Pats.

Russia

Nikolai Kovalenko (Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL): Kovalenko reached the scoresheet with a helper in three games last week for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The club won 4-3 in a shootout on Wednesday versus Neftekhimik but fell 5-3 to AK Bars on Friday, with Kovalenko registering his assist. On Monday, the club finished the week with a 2-1 shootout win over Kunlun Red Star, with Kovalenko recording two shots on goal. The 19-year-old has five points (four goals, one assist) in 22 games of KHL action this season.
Danila Zhuravlyov (Bars Kazan, VHL): Danila Zhuravlyov appeared in all three games for Bars Kazan this week and has now skated in 23 overall in the VHL this season. Kazan went 0-1-2 in the contests, losing 3-2 in overtime versus Yuzhny Ural Orsk on Thursday, 5-2 to Gornyak Uchaly on Saturday and 3-2 in OT on Monday against Zauralye Kurgan.
Shamil Shmakov (Sibirskie Snaipery, MHL): The Russian netminder got the start and the win in all three games for his club last week. Shmakov stopped 22 shots in a 4-2 win over Snezhnye Barsy on Tuesday. He concluded the week with Sibirskie's back-to-back set against Altai Ust-Kamenogorsk, making 27 saves in a 4-1 victory on Saturday and turning away 29 shots in a 5-2 win the following night. Shmakov now has a 6-1-0 record, 1.58 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage in nine games played this year.

Czech Republic

Petr Kvaca (HC Ocelari Trinec): Kvaca made 22 saves in a 4-1 win over Dynamo Pardubice on Thursday for Ocelari Trinec, his second start for the team. He was the backup goalie in the club's 4-1 victory against Skoda Plzen on Sunday night. Kvaca has a 2-0 record, 1.97 goals-against average and .925 save percentage with Trinec. He played in eight games earlier this year with Ceske Budejovice of the second-tier Czech league and registered a 5-3 mark, 1.67 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and one shutout.

Finland

Justus Annunen (Hermes, Mestis): The Finnish netminder did not play in the club's 3-2 win against Vantaa on Friday, but he recorded a shutout the next night in a 1-0 victory against Tuto. Annunen stopped 37 shots in his first whitewash this year. Annunen has a 4-3 record this season after nine contests and has recorded a 3.22 goals-against average and .859 save percentage.

Sweden

Adam Werner (Farjestad BK, SHL): Werner was in net on Wednesday for Farjestad and made 27 saves against Timra to earn the win in a 2-1 game. He served as the backup on Saturday on the team's 3-2 victory over Djurgarden. Werner has a 5-2-1 record, 1.90 goals-against average and save percentage of .930 in nine games played during the 2018-19 campaign.
Gustav Olhaver (Tingsryds AIF, Allsvenskan): The 6-foot-6, 225-pound center played in all three games this week for Tingsryds. In a 4-3 shootout loss to Almtuna, Olhaver reached the back of the net for his third goal and fourth point of the year. The center also played in the squad's 5-1 victory over Leksand on Friday and contributed three shots on goal in a 3-2 win against Karlskrona on Sunday night.