Prospect Weekly: Francouz’s Shutout Shoutout

As various leagues get ready for the holiday break one big bit of news unveiled last week was the preliminary rosters for the World Junior Championship were announced with Martin Kaut 🇨🇿, Sampo Ranta 🇫🇮, Shane Bowers 🇨🇦, Nikolai Kovalenko and Danila Zhuravlyov 🇷🇺  selected to participate in various national team camps leading up to naming final rosters before December 26th. Kaut likely will remain with the Colorado Eagles close to or up until the holiday break and head directly to the tournament while the others will begin camp and exhibition matches this week.

Cam Morrison followed up his third star of the week honors with more points on the board. In a 5-4 win for Notre Dame over Penn State Morrison posted a goal and assist. The goal as seen below was a typical Morrison doing work in front of the net type score. It was an Avalanche flavor game as Denis Smirnov scored a goal as well. Morrison tallied the opening goal the following evening as well but Notre Dame would fall 9-1 to Penn State in the rematch.

Shane Bowers took matters into his own hands in a rare 5-2 win for BU over UMass Lowell. He scored two goals in this contest, both beautiful backhanders seen below plus other plays he was involved in all night. A nice parting gift and a boost of confidence before he heads to World Junior camp.

Sampo Ranta also got on the board before departing to World Junior camp in Minnesota’s 4-3 win over Michigan. For his fourth goal of the season seen below he jumps up into the front of the net to bury the puck.

On Friday evening the Colorado Eagles continued their dominance at home with a win 2-0 over the San Diego Gulls. Goaltender Pavel Francouz posted his first shutout in North America with 29 saves. Travis Barron followed up his first AHL goal with another for the game winning goal in this contest. As seen below he pounces on a loose puck and buries it into the open net. Barron has some chemistry with Igor Shvyrev who started the play but did not get an assist. AJ Greer also added an insurance goal in the empty net which he shot shot from just beyond the goal line.

The following night the Eagles made it a bit more difficult in the rematch. Holding a 1-1 tie into the third period they would take the lead on a chipped in rebound into the open net by Dominic Toninato. To add insurance, which they would need in an eventual 4-3 final, Martin Kaut would do what he does best, rifling home a shot from distance in the clutch. It started as seen below with a keen pass from AJ Greer, who has done everything possible to earn a callup. Kaut for that matter is getting close to making the Avalanche consider giving him a test drive in the NHL as well.

Credit Colorado Eagles for the photo