Recap: Eagles fall 3-2 in first road game
David Moll / Calgary Wranglers
A blown third period lead ended in defeat. The Colorado Eagles came into tonight with a 2–2–0–1 record after blowing out the Abbotsford Canucks (VAN) 6–1 last Saturday. They played their division rival, the Calgary Wranglers (CGY), who bring in a ton of offensive power and heaviness. The Eagles had to make do without their leading scorer Jacob MacDonald and star winger Jean-Luc Foudy because of injuries. The Eagles couldn’t hold on to an early lead and lost the game 3-2.
First Period
The Eagles started out the contest using their speed to their advantage and caused stick infractions by the Wranglers. Less than two minutes into the period, Colorado had their first of three chances on the man advantage. They would set up a couple of shots, but with no luck. Roughly five minutes into the period, the Eagles continued with their pressure on the Calgary net. Nikita Prishchepov would force the puck through the legs of goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew for his first professional goal of his career. Assists would come from Oskar Olausson and Matthew Phillips.
Nikita Prishchepov pushes his first professional goal in to put the Eagles up by 1 early in the 1st with the help of Phillips and Olausson. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @MileHighHockey pic.twitter.com/ZSPnoiZ3wR— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2024
Just under eight minutes into the first, Calgary’s Lucas Ciona would head to the penalty box for a slashing infraction. One one minute later, Jayson Megna threw the puck down behind the net for Olausson. The Swedish forward shoved a pass over to T.J. Tynan took the pass right back. With some nice stick work in front of the net, Olausson would finish the job for the 2–0 lead. The Eagles and the Wranglers each received another penalty in the period, but it didn’t make a difference.
Olausson converts on the PP with some nice stick work for his 2nd point of the night. Assists from Tynan and Megna #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @MileHighHockey pic.twitter.com/if028evhPB— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2024
Second Period
Both sides of the bench cleaned up their discipline as the period saw no penalties at all. The Wranglers turned up the heat by throwing as much rubber on the net as they could. Nearly three minutes into the second period, Ciona carried the puck through the neutral zone right in front of the benches. Ciona squeezed between the wall and defender Keaton Middleton. The Wranglers’ forward sauced a pass to Yan Kuznetsov at the left point for a hard slapper. The puck redirected off of Middleton’ skate in front of the net and past goaltender Kaapo Kähkönen. Olausson saw several breakaway chances in the period, but with no results. The Eagles would head to the locker room still ahead with the score at 2–1.
Not much that Kähkönen could do here as the puck goes off of Middleton' skate and in 1#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @MileHighHockey pic.twitter.com/8xG9MTKrG8— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2024
Third Period
Calgary pushed the play as hard as they could to work everything to their advantage in the last period. As the Eagles showed some late game fatigue, the Wranglers passed the puck to get them moving more. Calgary would tie the game just 5:53 into the period, a tic-tac-toe play would end with Rory Kerins snapping a shot from the slot past Kähkönen to tie it up at two. Nine minutes later, Clark Bishop dove to push a loose puck into the back of the net and take the lead for the Wranglers. Former Colorado Avalanche forward Dryden Hunt cross-checked Jere Innala for the Eagles to take one last shot at the lead but with no luck and ended in a 3-2 Wranglers win.
Some perimeter passing starts a great play by Calgary to get the game tied. Wyatt Aamodt in front of Kähkönen impeded his movement to get to the puck. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @MileHighHockey pic.twitter.com/KO4VqArYaR— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2024
Clark Bishop dives for the puck and the Wranglers take the lead. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @MileHighHockey pic.twitter.com/6GpIm08qCI— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 26, 2024
Takeaways
The Eagles may be a faster team this season, but the fatigue set in early tonight against Calgary. The Wranglers are a heavy and offensively minded team, but unfortunately Colorado could not skate around that. They held Calgary to no power play goals, showing the strength of the special teams should continue again this season. As for Kähkönen, two of the goals were not his fault at all. He moves well in the crease and shows a lot of confidence attacking the shooter.
Upcoming
The Eagles will play again in a matinee rematch with the Calgary Wranglers on Sunday, October 27th at 1 p.m. Mountain Time at the Scotiabank Saddledome. ...
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