LOVELAND, Colo. — It was a quick turnaround for the Colorado Eagles after their series against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA). They took on the Bakersfield Condors (EDM), who had a 5–3–2–0 in their last 10 games, the same as the Eagles. Colorado started the series sitting in second place in the Pacific Division with Bakersfield right on their heels in third. Unfortunately, the Eagles would fall short on night two of the series, giving the Condors the extra points they needed to gain some ground.

Tuesday night: 4–2 win

Bakersfield tried to set the tone early in the first, but they did it in the wrong way. Just over two minutes into the game, Alec Regula took a chance to hit Tye Felhaber, and it ended with a boarding call. Colorado went on the power play and they only needed 19 seconds to finish the job. The group worked it around the zone after the face-off win, and it set up a sweet shot for  Valtteri Puustinen. The Eagles played a great defensive game until six and a half minutes remained in the period. They lost the face-off, and Sam Poulin took off in the other direction. He easily sent the puck past  Trent Miner to tie the game.

Colorado put some strong pressure on the Condors with less than five minutes to go. Tristen Nielsen nailed a slapper five feet from the net, sending the puck into the corner. Bakersfield attempted to clear, but Jason Polin stopped it at the point and sent it to Sean Behrens for a wrist shot and the lead. Bakersfield responded with a 3-on-2 rush and shot into an open net for a 2–2 tie.

The game tightened up on both sides in the second period, with only one goal scored. After hitting Alex Gagne into the boards, Max Jones took Gagne’s stick and put the Eagles on the power play. Colorado didn’t convert but scored soon after. With 5:45 left in the period, Alex Barre-Boulet stopped the puck at the blue line. He sent it to Jayson Megna behind the net, and Felhaber was in front waiting for the pass. Felhaber tossed it in the top corner for the 3–2 lead.

The Condors let up

Bakersfield let up on their physical play in the third to get to the net. Taylor Makar was called for an interference penalty and then Josh Samanski for a hook just a minute later, causing a 4-on-4. Ronnie Attard ran the puck up the ice and tossed it over to Nielsen, who was waiting for someone on the other side of the slot. Megna slid in to tap the pass from Nielsen, scoring his 22nd of the year and taking a 4–2 lead and the win.

“I think you just use your leverage,” said T.J. Tynan. “Obviously, I’m a smaller guy, but you can get low, you can get lower than them, so you can protect the puck and protect yourself. That’s a great team over there, and that’s a part of the game, the physicality side of it. But I was proud of our group. Obviously, we’re not the biggest team, so for us to play a team like that, and you know, get a win is always good, especially in our building, so awesome.”

Mark Letestu interview February 24, 2026

TJ Tynan interview February 24, 2026

Wednesday night: 4–3 overtime loss

Bakersfield came out with a little more heat than they did at the start of Tuesday’s contest. Colorado knew they were going to have to put up a fight with former Colorado Avalanche goaltender Calvin Pickard in net for Bakersfield. But the Eagles had Jacob MacDonald back and Danil Gushchin (first game since February 7th). Colorado would go on the power play with seven minutes left in the period. Gushchin corralled a rebound and sent it to the point for MacDonald. Jack Ahcan  pinched in and took the pass and whipped the shot past Pickard for the lead. Four minutes later, Chase Bradley ran the puck into the zone and attempted a wraparound. Sean Behrens tried for the rebound but failed as Mark Senden finished it, taking the 2–0 lead.

Eagles’ goaltender Isak Posch continued to play a stellar game throughout the period, helping to kill a penalty. It became a back-and-forth period with tons of pressure from Bakersfield. Halfway through the second, MacDonald ran the puck into the Condor zone. Jake Wise passed it up to Gushchin, who backhanded a shot from below the goal line. Bakersfield responded on the penalty kill with a shorthanded goal after a steal in the neutral zone to steal the shutout from Posch.

Eagles blow the lead

The Condors started the third fighting back with a ton of shots on net. Just under six minutes into the period, Regula tossed the puck at Posch, causing him to dive forward. Atro Leppanen picked up the rebound and backhanded a shot past a scrambling Posch to put the Condors within one. They continued their pressure throughout the period, pulling Pickard for the extra attacker with two minutes left in regulation. Cam Dineen took a hard shot from the top of the slot towards James Hamblin to the left of the net, who passed right away to Roby Järventie for the tap-in and the game-tying goal. It only took 30 seconds for the Condors to finish the job in overtime as Barre-Boulet turned over the puck and went off for the change, opening up the rush for Bakersfield and the win.

“I think the volume of opportunities, the quality of them, eventually they’re going to go,” said head coach Mark Letestu. “So that’s on us again. I’m really disappointed in some of the puck decisions, some of the puck management down the stretch, where we’re making blue line turnovers and because of that, breakaways and odd man rushes and stuff that’s uncharacteristic of our group. So disappointing, disappointing, for sure, and I was hoping for something better.”

Takeaways

The Eagles have had issues maintaining their leads all season long. Once they gain the lead, they have trouble keeping the multi-goal lead or let the win slip away from their grasp. Puck management is the primary source of the problem. In the last few games, Colorado has converted on the power play, so the special teams issue seems to have been figured out. For now, at least. Players like Chase Bradley and Mark Senden have been stepping up their game as of late, proving that they need to be in the lineup more often than others. Senden has one goal and one assist in his last three games, which is a lot for him. He brings another level of physical play to the Eagles’ lineup that is not normally there and needs to stay in the lineup.

Mark Letestu interview February 24, 2026

Mark Senden interview February 25, 2025

Up Next

The Eagles head out on the road to start their longest road trip of the season, which is eight games long. They will start with a two-game set against the Henderson Silver Knights (VGK) on Saturday and Sunday. AHLTV on FloHockey.com will stream the game.