Colorado Avalanche prospect report: Playoff check up

This week we’re looking at how the prospects are sitting playoff wise. NCAA playoffs start soon as most school only have a couple games left on their schedule.

Ontario Hockey League

The OHL playoffs follow the previous NHL format. Conferences seed 1-8 with the two division winners taking 1st and 2nd.

#21 - Conor Timmins (D)
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds - 47-6-2-2
1st in Western Conference, 16 points ahead of 2nd.

Timmins is still out with a lower body injury.

Barring a major losing streak the Greyhounds have the Hamilton Spectator Trophy wrapped up as OHL regular season champions. The most likely won’t face a challenge until the conference finals when they should face the Sarnia Sting.

#19- Travis Barron (F)
Ottawa 67’s - 25-22-5-3
6th in Eastern Conference, 3 points out of 5th.

Feb. 10th: vs Oshawa Generals
W 4-2 - 0G, 0A, +3
Feb. 11th: vs Owen Sound Attack
W 4-3 - No Points
Feb. 14th: VS Kingston Frontenacs
W 4-3 - 0G, 2A, +1
Feb. 16th: @ Guelph Storm
W 2-1 SO - 0G, 1A, +1
Feb. 17th: @ Owen Sound Attack
L 9-6 - 1G, 1A, -2

Ottawa will make the playoffs in any seed from 4th or 7th. They won’t be expected to make it out of the first round however, unless they play either 4th or 5th place.

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Western Hockey League

The WHL follows the NHL playoff format.

#21 - Nick Henry (W)
Regina Pats - 31-24-5-1
3rd in East Division, 21 points behind 1st

Feb. 6th: @ Brandon Wheat Kings
W 5-2 - No Points
Feb. 9th: vs Kootenay Ice
L 4-2 - 1G, 0A, -1
Feb. 10th: vs Lethbridge Hurricanes
W 4-2 - No Points
Feb. 11th: @ Saskatoon Blades
L 2-1 SO - No Points
Feb. 14th: vs Moose Jaw Warriors
L 6-3 - 0G, 0A, -2
Feb. 16th: @ Moose Jaw Warriors
W 5-3 - 1G, 0A

The Regina Pats are the Memorial Cup hosts, so they have a spot in the national championship locked up. Right now they would play either the Swift Current Broncos or Moose Jaw Warriors in the first round, depending on which one finishes second. For the Pats best chance to go far in the playoffs they should finish with the first wild card spot and work their way through the Central Division - they would be first in that division - rather than the super teams of the Broncos or Warriors.

#3 - Josh Anderson (D)
Swift Current Broncos - 42-13-4-1
Tied for 1st in East Division, 21 points ahead of 3rd

Feb. 9th: vs Prince Albert Raiders
W 5-1 - 0G, 0A, +1
Feb. 10th: vs Brandon Wheat Kings
W 5-2 - 0G, 0A, +3
Feb. 11th: @ Prince Albert Raiders
W 6-5 - 1G, 0A
Feb. 14th: vs Brandon Wheat Kings
W 4-2 - 0G, 1A, +2
Feb. 16th: vs Medicine Hat Tigers
W 6-2 - 0G, 0A, +1
Feb. 17th: @ Medicine Hat Tigers
L 4-3 OT - 0G, 0A, +1

The Broncos are fighting with the Warriors for first in the division and the right to obliterate whichever team gets the 2nd wild card spot. The toughest challenge will be - barring an upset - facing off with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the second round. After that it’s easy cruising to the WHL Finals.

#14 - Ty Lewis (F) - 4G, 1A
Brandon Wheat Kings - 31-22-3-2
1st Eastern Conference Wild Card, 2 points out of division spot

Feb. 6th: vs Regina Pats
L 5-2 - 0G, 1A, -1
Feb. 9th: vs Saskatoon Blades
W 6-3 - 0G, 0A, +1
Feb. 10th: @ Swift Current Broncos
L 5-2 - 1G, 0A, -1
Feb. 14th: @ Swift Current Broncos
L 4-2 - 1G, 0A, -1
Feb. 16th: @ Prince Albert Raiders
L 5-2 - 1G, 0A, -1
Feb. 17th: vs Prince Albert Raiders
W 4-3 - 1G, 0A, +1
Feb. 18th: vs Moose Jaw Warriors
W 4-2 - 0G, 0A, +2

Fighting with the Regina Pats for the first wild card, as above their best odds lay in the wild card spot over the division spot.

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Junior A

#4 - Nick Leivermann (D) - 2G, 0A
Penticton Vees, BCHL - 38-12-2-3
1st in Interior Division, 2 points ahead of 2nd

Feb. 7th: @ Trail Smoke Eaters
W 4-1 - Did Not Play
Feb. 9th: vs Trail Smoke Eaters
W 3-0 - Did Not Play
Feb. 10th: vs Vernon Vipers
L 5-2 - Did Not Play
Feb. 14th: vs Coquitlam Express
W 7-1 - No Points
Feb. 16th: @ Coquitlam Express
W 5-1 - 1G, 0A
Feb. 17th: @ Langley Rivermen
L 5-3 - 1G, 0A
Feb. 18th: @ Surrey Eagles
W 5-3 - No Points

The BCHL playoffs are as follows: The top two teams from the Interior Division get a bye to the second round. The first round is composed of the remaining Interior Division teams, and the top four teams from the other two divisions, Island and Mainland. They mash all those up and play games and there are four rounds total and then someone wins, hurrah.

Right now the Vees are first in the Interior so they have a bye to the second round.

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USHL

#27 - Nathan Clurman (D) - 1G, 1A, +2
Des Moines Buccaneers - 17-20-2-2
8th in Western Conference, 15 points out of the playoffs

Feb. 9th: vs Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
W 2-1 OT - 1G, 0A, +1
Feb. 10th: vs Lincoln Stars
L 2-1 SO - No Points
Feb. 11th: @ Omaha Lancers
L 4-1 - 0G, 0A, -1
Feb. 16th: @ Chicago Steel
W 3-2 - 0G, 0A, +1
Feb. 17th: vs Muskegon Lumberjacks
W 5-3 - 0G, 1A, +1

The USHL playoffs have the top four teams from each conference make the playoffs.

The Buccaneers season is essentially over, barring a major win streak in the final 19 games of the season.

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NCAA

#16 - Cale Makar (D) - 0G, 1A, -2
UMass-Amherst Minutemen
Overall: 13-17-2 / Conference: 7-13-2
9th in Hockey East, 2 points out of 8th.

Feb. 6th: vs Merrimack
W 5-2 - No Points
Feb. 9th: @ Boston University
T 3-3 - No Points
Feb. 10th: vs U-Mass Lowell
W 3-0 - 0G, 1A, +1
Feb. 15th: vs Boston College
L 5-2 - 0G, 1A, -3

In Hockey East the five highest seeds get byes to the second round. Right now Massachusetts would play Vermont in the first round.

#25 - Denis Smirnov (F) - 0G, 1A
Penn State Lions
Overall: 14-13-5 / Conference: 7-10-5
Tied for 5th in Big10 Conference

Feb 16th: @ Michigan State
L 4-2 - 0G, 1A, +1
Feb. 17th: @ Michigan State
W 3-2 - 0G, 0A, -1

In Big 10 the first place team gets a bye to the second round as the rest fight it out in the first round. right now Penn State would play Michigan, who are 10 points ahead in the standings.

#26 - Cameron Morrison (F) - 1G, 1A, -2
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Overall: 22-8-2 / Conference: 16-5-1
1st in Big 10 Conference, 11 points ahead of 2nd

Feb. 9th: vs Ohio State
W 2-1 - 0G, 1A, +1
Feb. 10th: vs Ohio State
L 5-1 - 1G, 0A, -1
Feb. 16th: vs Michigan
W 4-2 - 0G, 0A, -2
Feb. 18th: @ Michigan
L 1-0 - No Points

The Fighting Irish will get a bye to the second round of Big 10 playoffs

#15 - Shane Bowers - 3G, 1A, -1
Boston University Terriers
Overall: 16-13-3 / Conference: 11-8-3
4th in Hockey East, 2 points ahead of 5th

Feb. 5th: @ Harvard
W 3-2 - No Points
Feb. 9th: vs Massachusetts
T 3-3 - 2G, 0A
Feb. 12th: vs Northeastern
L 5-2 - 1G, 0A
Feb. 16th: @ Connecticut
L 5-4 - 0G, 0A, -1
Feb. 17th: @ Merrimack
W 3-1 - 0G, 1A

Right now BU would be getting a bye to the second round of Hockey East playoffs. They need to make sure to not lose any more games to stay ahead of 5th place.