SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Colorado Eagles earned their break. Claiming the Pacific Division title allowed an automatic entry into the second round, giving them a serious advantage over their opponent, the San Jose Barracuda (SJS).

After the puck drop, any concerns regarding the impact of the break immediately vanished. Colorado was always two steps ahead of the Barracuda after the team started the game in a very brief offensive lull.

After having to fend off an early Barracuda power play, it was straight to business, and the Eagles walked away from the first bout with a 6–3 victory.

Takeaways

There was very little that went wrong and a lot that went right. A flourishing power play, the team’s rest, and the determination to win set the Eagles up for success.

Calle Rosén got the scoring going early, breaking through at the sixteen minute mark. From there, it was a flurry of goals for a decisive win.

The second period is where Colorado thrived. Chris Wagner and Jayson Megna both netted goals on the man-advantage, making them 2-for-3 on the night. Quickly following them was John Ludvig, who took advantage of a delayed penalty and ended the second period 4–3.

Goaltender Trent Miner has been a solid performer for the regular season, posting a 0.918 SV%. His tenacity and consistency was an enormous factor in keeping San Jose at bay. He came up big in dangerous situations and bailed the Eagles out on more than one occasion.


It’s difficult for Colorado to avoid penalties when playing some teams. This time around, the team did an excellent job of cutting out unnecessary penalties, which can be the difference in a tight game.

The only breakdown happened toward the end of the game. Whether it be the team sitting back and cruising or the opposition wanting it bad enough, San Jose put up two goals. As a result, there was very little room for error and only a few minutes remaining if something went sideways.

However, rather than roll over and let the game slip away, the team had no quit and added a two empty netters. The ability to keep pushing and keep a level head in heated moments is what will carry them far in the postseason.

Upcoming

Game Two will be a rematch in San Jose on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. AHLTV on FloHockey.com will stream the game.