Colorado Avalanche prospect report: The playoffs are just around the corner

We’re two weeks away from the end of the NCAA regular season and about a month away from the end of CHL regular seasons. The KHL’s playoffs actually start next week, so the playoff push is in full swing for a lot of these players.

Ontario Hockey League

#17 - Brandon Saigeon (C)
Oshawa Generals (37-18-3)

Oshawa is riding a seven game win streak. They clinched a playoff spot over the weekend and remain third in the conference. Saigeon had a goal and two assists in four games over the weekend:

He sits seventh in OHL scoring with 85 points in 58 games.

Western Hockey League

#21 - Nick Henry (RW)
Lethbridge Hurricanes (30-17-10)

Lethbridge had three wins and one loss this weekend. They haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet, but currently sit in one. Henry had four points in four games and sits ninth in league scoring with 76 points in 58 games. (This would be more fun if Lethbridge tweeted highlights.)

NCAA

#16 - Cale Makar (D)
UMass Minutemen (23-6-0)

UMass swept their series against Boston College and remain first in the conference. Makar had five points in two games, so it was a good weekend.

Makar has 34 points in 29 games this season with two weekends left. Hobey Baker fan voting ends March 10th at midnight, so make sure you get your vote in!

#15 - Shane Bowers (C)
Boston University Terriers (11-15-3)

BU lost to Harvard in the Beanpot consolation game, which was rough. They split their series against UConn over the weekend and sit fifth in Hockey East. Bowers went pointless in all three games.

#26 - Cam Morrison (LW)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-11-3)

Morrison played his 100th career NCAA game against Michigan last Tuesday:

Notre Dame had two wins and a loss, and sit third in the conference. They beat Michigan and split their weekend games against Wisconsin. Morrison had an assist and nearly scored, too:

#4 - Nick Leivermann (D)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-11-3)

Another pointless weekend for Leivermann.

#2 - Nate Clurman (D)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-11-3)

Ditto for Clurman, but the depth the Irish have on the back end will bode well in the playoffs.

#58 - Sampo Ranta (RW)
Minnesota Golden Gophers (13-14-4)

It was a big weekend for Minnesota as they swept their series against conference leading Ohio State. Minnesota remains second in the Big Ten and Ranta tallied one assist:

#25 - Denis Smirnov (RW)
Penn State Nittany Lions (17-11-2)

Penn State split two games with Michigan State. Smirnov only had one assist, and the Lions sit fifth in the Big Ten.

#40 - Tyler Weiss (LW)
Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (9-17-2)

The Mavericks had a bye week and sit 7th in the NCHC.

Europe

#51 - Nikolai Kovalenko (RW)
KHL - Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (40-16-5)

Lokomotiv went 2-1-1 this week, and sit third in the Western Conference with the playoffs in less than a week. Kovalenko played in all four games, but didn’t register a point in a fourth line role.

#2 - Danila Zhuravlyov (D)
VHL - Bars Kazan (25-21-7)

Bars had two wins and one loss this week, and currently sit one spot out of the playoffs. Zhuravlyov didn’t have any points, and they only have three games left until the end of their regular season to make it into the playoffs.

#19 - Gustav Olhaver (RW)
Allsvenskan (SWE) - Tingsryds AIF (17-22-7)

Tingsryds went 1-1 this week, and are third last in Allsvenskan. Olhaver went pointless in two games. The two teams below them have already been eliminated from playoff contention. That hasn’t happened for Tingsryds yet, but there are only two weeks left in the regular season, and they’re eight points out of a playoff spot.