LOVELAND, Colo. –– With everything on the line, the Colorado Eagles would have no choice but to leave everything on the ice. But, sometimes that isn’t enough. The blowout 5–0 loss eliminated Colorado from the 2024–2025 Calder Cup Playoffs.

“We knew it was going to be our biggest test,” captain Jayson Megna said. “They gave us some problems all year, so we knew going into it, it was going to be a great test. We thought we were up to it, and we fell one game short. And that stinks but there’s a lot of positives to take from this, especially for guys that are coming back.”

What happened

The 3–1 bounce back win on Friday, May 23, the 2024–2025 season gave the team one more chance to advance. Knowing the Abbotsford Canucks to rely heavily on body size rather than speed, Colorado would need to change their strategy. The difference in play style would force a move away from the speed and handling through the zone.

Not only does Abbotsford force big adjustments, they also use another strategy: pushing the net off the posts. Goaltender Artūrs Šilovs has a habit of using the forced stoppage in play to reset and allow his teammates to get back into position. It would be this move that would change the momentum and contribute to the end of the season.

Despite the frustrating way to gain an advantage, circumstances forced Colorado to work through the situation and create a scoring opportunity. In a late first period power play, the Canucks would get the best of Miner and take a lead early. One minute later, a hard shot from the right circle would force a two-goal deficit to climb out of.

“I thought our start was outstanding,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “Šilovs made some really big saves early. You get one of those to go in, you’re riding that wave pretty high. They get two goals at the end of the first period, and that changes the game real quick, and now we’re chasing. They’re a good hockey team. They finished two points behind us. They were the hottest team in the league to finish the year. They’re well coached. It was a great series.”

Unfortunately, the second period yielded more struggles. There was a serious lack of communication and chemistry. Passes weren’t connecting, Miner was being hung out to dry in the net, and it appeared impossible to clear the puck out of their own zone. In this type of high stakes game, it was more than discouraging to see, especially with a team built to go the distance.

At just under the 11 minute mark, the Canucks continued to build their lead. Calle Rosén did what he should have done and took a pass away, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the puck from going right through the five-hole.

The back half of the second period looked marginally better. The team brought the puck deep into the offensive zone and take shots on the net. At the end of the second period, the Eagles had the opportunity to turn the tide.

Sammy Blais has been a repeat offender and has picked up multiple game misconducts, and this bout was no different. While the Eagles would only sit for two minutes, he would sit for a total of 15 minutes. The three-minute power play opportunity could be the difference maker to help move things along. By that point, it was too late, and the goals continued to compound to end their season.

“We have so much pride in what this team accomplished this year,” Schneekloth said. “Finishing first in our division, winning the playoff series, seeing all the individual growth and development from our younger guys and the amount of NHL experience. A lot of the guys in that locker room were rewarded with this with the season. Obviously, it’s a lot of big emotions after a big loss like that. Big picture, we are proud of what we accomplished.”

For the Eagles, there are still upcoming events for them to look forward to. Free agency begins on July 1st, and the Eagles have a lot of movement coming to the lineup. The draft will be from Friday, June 27–Saturday, June 28, meaning the Eagles could bring in new talent.

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