Takeaways

— Peter Holland has now played seven games since returning from injury and has five points. That may not seem like much, but he has been a constant offensive threat. He draws the defense towards him, making it so another player is open. Holland has so much experience that he is hardly ever out of position as well. He ended the night with three assists.

Goal has been updated to Brad Hunt coming from Keaton Middleton and Peter Holland #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/80TtY8xDRM

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Pare has become a dominant force on the Eagles’ offense. Pare scored the first goal of the night for Colorado to set the pace for the team in the game. So far this season he has 24 points, surpassing his AHL career high last season of 21. And Pare has done it in one less game than last season. Colorado still has 25 more games to play this season, where Pare will probably get about 14 more points,

Just 1:05 into the game, Cedric Paré picks up the lose puck to open scoring with the assists coming from Matt Stienburg and Peter Holland. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/BnYNCcC0jv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Riley Tufte scored his first goal since January 21st. He has openly admitted that he has been getting a little frustrated with his lack of production, but has been useful in other ways. Tufte still ranks second on the team in points with 14 goals and 15 assists. But Tufte can power his way to the net, similar to how Valeri Nichushkin can. By doing this, Tufte creates chaos in front of the net and throws the defense off.

Riley Tufte redeems himself with a PP goal right after he exits the box. His 14th goal of the year and 29th point of the season. Holland tallies his 2nd assist of the night and Malinski gets on the board. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/bvspHXCMEJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now sit in third place in the Pacific Division and five points out of first place. Their penalty kill ranks ninth in the league, killing 83.9 percent of their penalties. It has been a shining beacon all season for the Eagles when the power play was suffering. Depth scoring has become a key for the team with so many injuries, Pare has stepped up and rookie Ivan Ivan has been producing more than expected. Colorado looks to take their two winning streak to Bakersfield tomorrow night. It will be the third time that they have played each other in eight days and hope to keep a seven point lead in the standings.

The post Holland key in Eagles’ win over Firebirds appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Chris Wagner made his Eagles’ debut after missing 32 games with a lower-body injury suffered in the offseason. He made his presence known with some hits along the boards and has been described as a “heavy hitter” by General Manager Kevin MacDonald.” Wagner brings over 720 games of professional experience to the team and even said of himself, “I guess I am the old man now.” Wagner is no stranger to Colorado as he has played 26 games for the Avalanche in 2015-16. This time around, though, he had the choice to sign here rather than get picked on waivers.

“Just first, like my relationship with C Mac from years ago, we had a couple of good discussions about opportunities up top and then playing here,” said Wagner. “And another thing was the distance between the AHL team and the NHL team being only an hour away, the city and people. Loveland, Windsor, and Fort Collins are really nice areas.”

— Meyers finished the game with a goal and an assist tonight. The goal was when it mattered, though. He has been playing on the top line and really been driving the offense when he is on the ice. Meyers will lead the drive out of the defensive zone with a pass and then speed up the ice for the pass. When Meyers is with the Eagles, he really stands out as the offensive force that the Colorado Avalanche expects him to be.

MEYERS WINS IT IN OT!!!!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/iyW2UdSXTz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

— There was more visible communication among the defense. As the plays developed in the Eagles zone, you could see the defensemen making motions to cover a man. Sticks were going up and pointing in directions that the other player needed to cover. You could even hear them yelling at each other. Communication is key.

— Ryan Sandelin exploded offensively with a goal and an assist. Now with three goals and one assist on the season, tonight was his first professional multi-point night. This was all on Hockey Fights Cancer Night and his mother in the crowd, a cancer survivor herself.

Ryan Sandelin answers back to tie the game at one as he rushes into the zone and snaps it past the goalie. Keaton Middleton with the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/aOgw9tCCET

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles played with a renewed vigor tonight after three consecutive shutouts. Tonight, they scored their first goal in nine periods and fought back to an overtime win. Not only did they score some goals, but they got one on the power play as well. Two things that they have been struggling with. The Eagles will not have long to celebrate, as they play again on Tuesday against the Bakersfield Condors in Loveland.

The post Meyers snaps Eagles’ three game losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

Foudy

Jean-Luc Foudy is back to his usual routine! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/gZBqHVgzak

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— Foudy made his long-awaited season debut for the Eagles after missing 31 games this season. Last season, after playing just 46 games with the Eagles, Foudy had set career highs in goals scored and in assists. He also saw his first recall to the Colorado Avalanche and played nine games for the club. Tonight, he looked as though he had not missed a beat. His speed was all there as he attacked players in the offensive zone and along the boards. If this was a preview of what we have to look forward to, I can not wait.

“I am just excited to be back playing hockey,” Foudy said. “It’s been a long road. Just happy to be back playing hockey. Having Wags injured as well. Just having another guy, same situation. Usually being able to skate together. Just have another guy going through the process is always nice. He was also injured.”

“I think it was pretty obvious tonight,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “His possession game was outstanding, especially for not playing in for an extended period. So his competence is only going to grow, the more he plays. He’s going to help in that scoring department not only when the puck is on his stick, but his vision and his ability to find an open man in the offensive zone is going to create a lot of chances for us. I’m just excited that he’s back in the lineup. I thought he was outstanding tonight.”

The Game

— Justus Annunen was the main reason the Firebirds had only scored two goals. Annunen played in just his sixth game back after returning from a lower-body injury. He maintained a .941 save percentage through the game and kept the Eagles in it the entire time. There were several times he had to stop odd man rushes and did it with ease.

A shorthanded chance for the Eagles leads to a 3 on 2 for the Firebirds and two amazing stops by Annunen. Tufte doesn't appreciate the extra pressure. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4ElZ2KojSW

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— The offense continued multiple times to make passes to the slot without looking to see if anyone was there. The winger would rush down the boards and then pass to the center without looking first. This led to missed chances and turnovers in the offensive zone.

Conclusion

The Eagles lead the league in shots on goal but are 28th in goals scored. They are seeing opportunities there, but cannot take advantage of them. If Colorado can convert even a fraction of those shots, it could make a tremendous difference for them. The Eagles may be without Cal Burke once again as he has left the team for personal reasons. Unfortunately, we don’t know when he will return. Burke adds speed and a way to escape for the defense, which they had trouble with tonight. The Eagles will be back at it on Saturday night against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Loveland.

The post Foudy return does not spark the Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

Quick hits

— Trent Miner was fantastic in net for his third start in a row. What was an unexpected start for Miner because Arvid Holm was ill. Miner stopped all 22 shots he faced against the Firebirds. This was after he had to play through a shootout on Saturday and 32 shots on net. Every game that Miner has played, he is looking strong in net. The consistent starts in the AHL are helping both his game and confidence.

— The power play unit has finally seen some goals come their way. They have now scored a power play goal in every game of the road trip. The goals are coming from everywhere on the ice as well. Contributions to the goals came from both defensemen and forwards.

Pare on the PP pic.twitter.com/DVxmqPLybt

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) December 18, 2023

— The defensive core has been a staple for the Eagles on offense. Now with six goals and eight assists in the last five games. Players like Brad Hunt, Wyatt Aamodt and Jack Ahcan are all contributing offensively. In a lot of circumstances, they are crashing the net and waiting for the rebound to come to them.

— Cedric Pare, with his goal on Sunday, now has two goals and two assists in four games. He was constantly battling for the puck and managed four shots on net. He has become known for his quick release just like the one that got his goal from the high slot.

Conclusion

The Colorado Eagles ended their three game road trip on a very successful note. They pulled five out of the possible six points out of the trip. Colorado is now one point in the standings of Coachella Valley and Henderson. The road was something to be feared at the beginning of the season, but now it is somewhere that they can play well. Their power play will come home clicking and their goalie is playing his best hockey yet. Next up will be the Calgary Wranglers on Friday night back home in Loveland as they try to narrow the gap to first.

The post Miner earns first shutout of the year against Firebirds appeared first on The Rink.