ReignTrain Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/reigntrain/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Mon, 22 Apr 2024 01:53:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 ReignTrain Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/reigntrain/ 32 32 136660061 Eagles acquire home ice advantage with 6-3 win over Reign https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/ https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/#respond Mon, 22 Apr 2024 01:53:18 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29347 LOVELAND, Colo. — The fight for home ice advantage continues to prove to be a tough one. Last night, the Colorado Eagles fell to the Ontario Reign 7–3. In today’s... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — The fight for home ice advantage continues to prove to be a tough one. Last night, the Colorado Eagles fell to the Ontario Reign 7–3.

In today’s matinee, the Eagles scored in every period to gain home ice for the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Eagles defeated the Reign 6–3 and will face the Abbotsford Canucks at home next week starting on Wednesday.

First period

“We handled some of their pressures a lot better tonight than we did last night,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “The big thing is, we’re disciplined.”

A minute into the first, the Eagles proved they were here to fight for home ice. Eagles’ Jack Ahcan notched his sixth goal of the season from behind the goal line. Peter Holland and Corey Schueneman assisted Ahcan.

From the right-wing circle, Francesco Pinelli put his one-timer shot just behind Ivan Prosvetov. Alex Turcotte, who achieved a hat trick in last night’s contest, and Taylor Ward assisted him.

 

Nikolai Kovalenko picked up his first goal as an Eagle not long after giving Colorado a 2–1 lead. Wrapping around the goal, Tanner Kero gave him the assist.

 

Just minutes later and in a completely different game from last night, Riley Tufte scored his first goal of the night. He had help from Ahcan and Cal Burke on the delayed penalty.

“We felt we could put any line out there against anyone tonight. [The] players had the urgency to get a second boost of confidence,” Schneekloth said.

With a one-man advantage, Tufte was able to gain another goal, bringing his season total to 23. Kovalenko picked up his second assist as an Eagle, after attaining one last night. Sam Malinski also received credit for an assist.

 

“I think everyone was pretty dialed tonight,” Tufte says. “Just knowing what’s at stake. We get to stay at home for a week instead of going away for a week.”

Second period

Peter Holland secured his 14th goal of the regular season from a rebound on the remaining power play 36 seconds in. Malinski and Jean-Luc Foudy both collected a point on the play.

The second frame continued with minimal stoppage. Until Jacob Doty from Ontario slammed a wrist shot past Prosvetov from Steven Santini and Nikita Pavlychev.

To round out the period for the Reign, Martin Chromiak made it 5–3. Former Eagle Charles Hudon, who had been out for three weeks with an upper-body injury, assisted Martin Chromiak in making it 5–3. Santini also picked up another assist.

 

Third period

To continue the quick period opening trend, Spencer Smallman lit the lamp 1:41 into the final period. Burke and Schueneman both picked up another assist.

Takeaways

The 2024 Calder Cup schedule has been set. With this win, the Colorado Eagles will host the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena on Wednesday and Friday. The series is the best two of three. So, the Eagles will host a third game on Sunday afternoon if necessary.

When asked about the one word the team would take into the playoffs, Schneekloth said, “Quickness. I feel like when we’re playing quick in all three zones, we’re playing our best and you’re gonna have to play quick against this Abbotsford team.”

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/feed/ 0 29347 Behrens makes pro debut in Eagles’ loss https://www.the-rink.com/behrens-makes-pro-debut-in-eagles-loss/ https://www.the-rink.com/behrens-makes-pro-debut-in-eagles-loss/#respond Sun, 21 Apr 2024 06:07:10 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29344 LOVELAND, Colo. — In a game that the Colorado Eagles had to win in order to help themselves gain home ice, they just slipped into oblivion. The Ontario Reign took... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — In a game that the Colorado Eagles had to win in order to help themselves gain home ice, they just slipped into oblivion. The Ontario Reign took advantage of the fact that Colorado had six rookies in the lineup tonight. The veterans remaining in the lineup struggled to keep the puck on their stick and carry it into the zone. Goaltender Jacob Barczewski showed some obvious jitters in his pro debut. Just eight days after winning the NCAA National Championship, Sean Behrens also made his pro debut. Behrens also secured his first pro point as an assist. Here are my takeaways from the 7–3 loss to the Reign.

Takeaways

— Nikolai Kovalenko is getting more comfortable on North American ice and at altitude. He was taking a lot longer shifts tonight compared to the previous two games, showing that he was building a tolerance. Kovalenko was more than willing to dig into the corners and make plays along the walls as well. This tells me he is adjusting to the smaller ice surface (200×85 compared to 200×100). Previous games, Kovalenko was staying towards the center of the ice, away from the walls.

“It’s hard for me first when I come,” Kovalenko said. “So every time it was just like I just started training. I feel like I am in no condition, like I was on vacation for two months and I feel like, what the hell? But I keep training every time in the gym with the trainer and I will be better at every game.”

— Behrens was understandably hesitant during the first period of the game. But as time passed, you could see that he was getting more comfortable. He was playing in a new system and with a new defensive partner (Jack Ahcan), so I can’t blame him. Behrens may not want to admit it, but for the first period, there is no trust until you get to know your partner. Once that happened, he started throwing shots towards the net and even drove the net.

— Discipline killed the Eagles. Although they were weak calls in the first period, Ontario scored on two out of three of the power plays. The Reign would convert two more throughout the night as the penalty kill unit suffered. Not being penalized could have improved the Eagles’ chances of success.

Conclusion

The Eagles are now in a desperate state. They play their last game tomorrow and Abbotsford won tonight. As the standings sit at this moment, they are out-of-home ice. They MUST win in order to gain it back, or they will play the first round on the road. The veterans that are left need to take charge of the young players in the room and calm them down. Tomorrow at 3pm, they must win against Ontario one last time, it is a do-or-die situation.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/behrens-makes-pro-debut-in-eagles-loss/feed/ 0 29344 Eagles capitalize in Ontario, securing a 5–2 win https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/ https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/#respond Sat, 03 Feb 2024 07:17:39 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28415 The Colorado Eagles aimed to complete and capitalize on a full 60-minute game against the Ontario Reign by staying disciplined and competitive in their fourth matchup of a five-game road... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Eagles aimed to complete and capitalize on a full 60-minute game against the Ontario Reign by staying disciplined and competitive in their fourth matchup of a five-game road trip. With multiple roster changes on both sides, the Eagles were able to secure a 5–2 win.

In their last meeting with Ontario, the Eagles had multiple points from defenders Sam Malinski and Brad Hunt and forwards Chris Wagner and Jean-Luc Foudy. Malinski and Foudy were both scratched from Friday’s game, Malinski with a night off and Foudy with an upper-body injury. Peter Holland saw the ice for the first time with the team since November 25. He’s only played ten games so far this season and has five goals and three assists.

Tonight, the Eagles had yet another multi-point night and moved to No.4 in the Pacific Division.

First period

The first period got off to a slow start. With 3:49 left, Colorado had nine shots on goal as opposed to Ontario’s two. A delayed penalty from Spencer Smallman and an Ontario penalty for too many men pulled a player from both sides.

The Eagles were the first to capitalize on the four-on-four and a goal came from Oskar Olausson 18:24 in. He received help from captain Brad Hunt, who currently leads the team in assists, goals, and points, and Wyatt Aamodt, who has four assists on the season.

Second period

Cal Burke kicked the second period off early by scoring a goal off of his own rebound. At 2:11, Ivan Ivan provided the assist to him and ended the night with two assists.

 

After two shorthanded opportunities for Ontario, the Eagles kill off a penalty drawn by Holland four minutes in. The Eagles continue to out shoot the Reign 13–9.

Just six minutes later, Burke lights the lamp again off of a turnover from Ivan and Jason Polin.

 

Halfway through the second period, the Regin began gaining momentum. Former Eagle Kevin Connauton and Alex Turcotte assisted Brandt Clarke with 3:30 left, while shots on goal were tied at 16.

Clarke, Turcotte, and Samuel Fagemo came down from the Los Angeles Kings at the start of the NHL All-Star weekend looking to enhance Ontario’s roster.

Third period

The Eagles capitalized once again 8:22 into the last period. Using the five-on-four to their advantage, Holland found the back of the net with an assist from Wagner and Hunt. The trio put the Eagles up 4–1.

Almost a minute later, Ontario responded with a goal of their own. Steven Santini and former Eagle T.J. Tynan assisted Colton Young in scoring his first goal of the season.

With time running out, the Reign pulled their goalie, Aaron Dell, in time for Cedric Pare to acquire an empty netter. Dell allowed four goals from 20 shots on the night.

Takeaways

With this win, the Eagles advance their win streak to six games. They move to No.4 in the Pacific Division, ahead of the Abbotsford Canucks, and one point behind the Calgary Wranglers.

Colorado will finish their road trip tomorrow night in San Diego as they face the Gulls at 7 p.m.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/feed/ 0 28415 Malinski and multi-point night extends Eagles’ win streak https://www.the-rink.com/malinski-and-multi-point-night-extends-eagles-win-streak/ https://www.the-rink.com/malinski-and-multi-point-night-extends-eagles-win-streak/#respond Wed, 31 Jan 2024 06:22:53 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28398 The Colorado Eagles had their eyes set on another win against the Ontario Reign tonight. The Eagles were entering the game on a four game win streak and three points... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Eagles had their eyes set on another win against the Ontario Reign tonight. The Eagles were entering the game on a four game win streak and three points out of fifth place in the Pacific Division. The Eagles should have the odds stacked in their favor against Ontario, given their 2-1-0-1 record this season. Especially as more players are coming back from injury and are consistent in the lineup. Here are the takeaways from the 6–3 victory over the Reign.

Takeaways

— The Eagles forecheck smothered the Reign in the first period. For much of the first period, the Eagles pressed forward and would not let up much. They were doing it so much that the Reign had two power play chances and still were getting chased into their own zone.

— Sam Malinski brought his NHL experience with him. Having played 22 games for the Colorado Avalanche this season, Malinski is showing more quickness on the puck and confidence in the zone. He is taking the shots more often with his head up, waiting for the zone to be clear or passing the puck off. Malinski is also attacking the zone more aggressively, reading the play faster, which helped him drop into the zone and score his goal.

— Jean-Luc Foudy, who is now in the regular lineup, is looking better with each game. In just his sixth game back-and-forth game in a row, had his first multi-point game of the season. Foudy’s assist came from a feed up to Malinski at the point and then a Brad Hunt goal. The goal came with some work in low. After the shot from Hunt and a rebound attempt by Cal Burke, Foudy snapped it into a nearly open net.

— Chris Wagner, also in his sixth game back, caught fire with his first two goals with the Eagles. Not just a scorer, but a leader with impact.

Conclusion

Colorado is now within one point of fifth place in the Pacific Division. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth now has clarified that they do not want to settle for seventh. With just two points behind, they are close to catching up with the Abbotsford Canucks in fourth place. Everyone is getting hot at the right time and getting healthy. Peter Holland, who has not played since the end of November, may even play on Friday. The power play has gained some real momentum, scoring at least once in their last eight contests. The Eagles will look for their sixth straight win on Friday night against the Ontario Reign.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/malinski-and-multi-point-night-extends-eagles-win-streak/feed/ 0 28398 Ivan stands out in Eagles’ shootout loss https://www.the-rink.com/ivan-stands-out-in-eagles-shootout-loss/ https://www.the-rink.com/ivan-stands-out-in-eagles-shootout-loss/#respond Sun, 17 Dec 2023 06:16:46 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27956 The Colorado Eagles continue their three game California road trip against the Ontario Reign. This is the fourth time that the Eagles and the Reign have faced each other this... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Eagles continue their three game California road trip against the Ontario Reign. This is the fourth time that the Eagles and the Reign have faced each other this season. Colorado is leading the series 2–1. The Eagles are still injury bound with Justus Annunen, not even going on the trip. Peter Holland missed his sixth game in a row with a lower-body injury, but Cal Burke returned from personal leave. The Eagles took it to a shootout for the first time this year. Unfortunately, they could not pull it through and lost 5–4, but got a point in the standings.

Quick Hits

— The normally strong penalty kill allowed two goals tonight, giving the Reign the lead for most of the game. In most situations, the Eagles employed a tight box formation. They let the two goals in when Colorado loosened up the formation. Ontario swept in down the slot as one of the corner faded out and gave them too much room.

— Tanner Kero remained hot with his third goal in four games. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth has pushed Kero to perform just like his first game back from injury. Since then, he has been held off the scoresheet once. He has become a dominant force in the faceoff to help Colorado maintain possession.

— Ivan Ivan had one goal, one assist tonight and is looking more comfortable. The assist that he had to help set up Wyatt Aamodt’s goal showed complete calmness with the puck. Ivan played with the defender and then dropped the puck for Brad Hunt to do the rest. His goal came early in the game, as he knocked the puck out of the air and slapped it on net.

— The Colorado power play went 1–5 tonight, but it was the second game in a row that they scored. They are showing some improvement by shooting more and getting opportunities. The Eagles have had to learn to adjust with five of their top players lost to the NHL or injury.

Conclusion

Colorado is showing some progress under the new leadership of Schneekloth. It has been an adjustment period for everyone and the players, old and new, are getting it. Colorado will play their last game on this road trip tomorrow as they head to Coachella Valley. The two teams who met in the playoffs last season will play with each other for the first time this year. It will be a huge two points on the line, as the Eagles only trail the Firebirds by three points in the standings.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/ivan-stands-out-in-eagles-shootout-loss/feed/ 0 27956 Eagles make Ontario reign tears https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-make-ontario-reign-tears/ https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-make-ontario-reign-tears/#respond Sun, 05 Nov 2023 16:23:51 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27267 LOVELAND, Colo. — The Colorado Eagles have done one thing right this year, and it is winning games at home. As they came into the second game against the Ontario Reign,... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — The Colorado Eagles have done one thing right this year, and it is winning games at home. As they came into the second game against the Ontario Reign, the Eagles are 4–0 at home. The home cooking has done the team some good, as they exploded on Friday night for the 5–3 victory and a hat trick from Riley Tufte, the first of his career.

Key takeaways from game two

  • The power play for the Colorado Eagles continues to struggle. The Eagles have converted only 18.2% of their power plays at home before Saturday night and only 12.5% overall. Their failure to keep their collective head up and search for shooting lanes is evident when they take shots. This leads to blocked shots for the opposing team. The Eagles were 0 for 5 on the power play on Saturday.

“We’ll discuss it, we’ll watch some video and discuss and see what we feel is needed to correct some things,” coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “Just kind of one of those nights where it’s unfortunate we took, you know, three offensive penalties while we’re on the power play. It kind of nullified what we’re trying to accomplish. And just overall a tough game to play and when there’s that many penalties. It’s hard to find guys to find a rhythm and get into the game and some guys are overextending themselves on specialty teams. And other players are sitting on the bench.”

  • Justus Annunen was looking confident and strong while in goal. He faced 40 shots on goal and only gave up three goals, one of which was on the Ontario power play. Two of the three goals were from former teammate Charles Hudon.
  • Tufte had another great game, adding an assist putting his total up to 12 points in eight games with the Eagles. Using his long reach, he poke checked the puck away, creating a 2-on-1 opportunity and scoring a goal.

  • Oskar Olasusson was the first star in the game on Saturday. He scored two goals in the second period off rebounds near the crease. With these two goals, he now has three points for the season.

The Eagles continue to find success at home, but their woes continue on the power play. Colorado has had no issue with their even strength. As long as they can get their power play in sync with their road game, they should not have any issues. The team’s health may become an issue due to the absence of players like Ben Meyers and Peter Holland. The Eagles will look to wrap up their home stand against the Henderson Silver Knights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-make-ontario-reign-tears/feed/ 0 27267 Tufte tallies hat trick as Eagles reign over Ontario https://www.the-rink.com/tufte-tallies-hat-trick-as-eagles-reign-over-ontario/ https://www.the-rink.com/tufte-tallies-hat-trick-as-eagles-reign-over-ontario/#respond Sat, 04 Nov 2023 14:16:22 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=27247 LOVELAND, Colo. — Blue Arena was filled with excitement on Friday night. After a long road trip and the Colorado Eagles in a funk, the game against the Ontario Reign was... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — Blue Arena was filled with excitement on Friday night. After a long road trip and the Colorado Eagles in a funk, the game against the Ontario Reign was the perfect way to get back into the swing of things.

The Eagles secured a 5–3 win over Ontario, outshooting the Reign 38–25. Riley Tufte unsurprisingly stole the show after netting three goals to secure a hat trick, with two goals in the last period of the game.

First period

The first period did not begin to heat up until the last five minutes on the clock. Sam Malinski’s pass to D.J. Busdeker broke the scoring open, and the Eagles secured the 1–0 lead.

“D.J. Busdeker has been patiently waiting for an opportunity to get in the lineup and the speed shown and did a great job on the forecheck and was rewarded early in the night with the goal,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said.

The advantage did not last long, as former Eagle Charles Hudon got past Justus Annunen to bring the game back to a tie at 1–1.

There were obvious differences between the two teams, the most important being the physical size of the players. The Reign towered over the Eagles, and Colorado was required to play a heavier game.

Though the Eagles had 13 shots throughout the first frame, they missed several scoring opportunities by passing an unnecessary number of times instead of firing a shot into the crease.

Second period

The second period revealed a new team. The Eagles took a more aggressive approach and stopped avoiding the puck, giving them better chances to test Ontario’s goalie.

The home team did not waste any time getting on the board, as Tufte fired a shorthanded goal to secure his first point of the night with assistance from Joel Kiviranta and Caleb Jones.

Only one minute later and on the same penalty kill, Henry Bowlby followed suit and scored a second shorthanded goal, bringing the score to 3–1.

The Reign left the first goal unanswered, but fired the puck into the crease and closed the margin and brought the game within one at 3–2.

Third period

The Colorado Eagles had finally found their groove and were more relaxed on the ice in the last frame, where Tufte excelled.

At 7:52, he scored his second goal of the contest on a power play, followed by his hat trick goal at 18:37. Tanner Kero, Kiviranta and Brad Hunt assisted his goals.

“Well, he’s playing the game the right way,” Schneekloth said. “I mean, he’s not cheating on the offensive side of things. He’s playing strong defensive hockey, he’s making sure he’s in good position on breakouts and then he’s getting in there. He’s a big, long guy with a huge range. He’s able to jar some pucks loose and then use his big frame to protect him and he’s not afraid to shoot the puck and go to the hard areas and right now he’s being rewarded for his efforts.”

Ontario scored their third and final goal 11:57 minutes into the last period, but the comeback effort was too little, too late, with the Eagles holding on for the 5–3 decision.

Colorado will play the Reign on Saturday before taking on the Henderson Silver Knights on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Takeaways

Despite lineup changes from injuries, the Eagles quickly adapted to the Reign’s speed and style, especially on the penalty kill.

Though not able to execute on the power play previously, Colorado showed significant improvement with the advantage.

With the Henderson Silver Knights (7–2–0) on the horizon, the Eagles are on the right track to turn the rest of the season into a success.

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