LOVELAND, Colo. — On Tuesday night, the Colorado Eagles faced the San Diego Gulls (ANA) with their walking wounded returning. Nine players have reached the injured list for the Eagles, including defenseman Wyatt Aamodt after taking a puck to the face last weekend. He lost many teeth, requiring over a dozen stitches for repair. Alex Gagne is also one of the latest victims, out with an upper-body injury in the latest game. Coming into the mid-week series, the Gulls are 3–5–2–0 in their last 10 games and fighting to stay in seventh place. The Eagles are 5–3–1–1 in their last 10 and clawing to catch up with the Ontario Reign (LAK), just three points ahead in first place. Once again the Eagles and Gulls split the series, but Colorado walked away with three out of four possible points.

Tuesday: 6–5 shootout loss

Taylor Makar and Tye Felhaber both returned to the lineup, and Makar wasted no time in making an impact. Just 2:11 into the first period, Makar stole the puck in the neutral zone and dipped his shoulder to drive past Nikolas Brouillard for the goal. The team successfully killed multiple penalties while maintaining a strong defensive zone.

Both sides scored three goals in the second period. The Gulls started with a shorthanded goal by Nathan Gaucher, where he just did not give up on the puck. Over the next five minutes of the period, four more pucks found the back of the net. Sam Colangelo and former Eagle Matthew Phillips each had one. Keaton Middleton had a sweet snapshot from the blue line after a massive hit in the corner by Maroš Jedlička. Jack Ahcan teed up a one-timer from the point to tie the game. Late in the period, Alex Barré-Boulet strutted to the slot and roofed a shot for the lead. The Eagles left the period with a 4–3 lead.

Throughout the third, the Gulls outshot the Eagles 8–0 before they could muster anything up. At 16:34 into the period, Middleton threw a puck off the pads of Tomas Suchanek. Middleton perfectly placed the puck for Ivan Ivan’s rebound shot, extending their two-goal lead. But it wasn’t enough as the Gulls pulled the goalie and Makar was called for a trip. In less than two minutes, San Diego scored a pair from Tristan Luneau and Sasha Pastujov to tie it and send it to OT. The extra frame yielded no results, but Nikita Nesterenko finished the Eagles in the shootout to take the victory 6–5.

“We have to find a way,” said head coach Mark Letestu. “With under four minutes, a two goal lead at home, we need some people to make some plays. There’s ways you go back through those three minutes, times for us to end the game and times for us to make a play, and we just don’t. We just don’t, and I have to find some guys at the end of games that can get the job done.”

Mark Letestu interview March 17, 2026

Maroš Jedlička interview March 17, 2026

Wednesday: 5–1 win

Jason Polin made his way back into the lineup on Wednesday night along with Jacob MacDonald and Jake Wise. Colorado wasted no time getting the scoring started in the first. It took only 26 seconds for Tristen Nielsen to net his 23rd of the season. Makar pushed the puck in front for his fourth point in four periods, and Sean Behrens is only getting better with the other assist.

Less than four minutes later Barré-Boulet added to the lead with Jayson Megna and Felhaber on the assists. Kyle Keyser was strong in net, stopping two breakaways and eight shots on goal.

Both sides generated more scoring chances throughout the second period. Keyser stood tall, blocking 11 of 12 shots on goal in the period. Nine minutes into the second, the Gulls won a faceoff in the Eagles’ zone, sliding it back to Stian Solberg at the point, then for a one-timer shot in the slot for Pastujov. Each side had one power play, but Colorado had more chances killing the San Diego opportunity. Colorado headed to the second intermission with a 2–1 lead and momentum swinging their way.

Despite the Eagles giving up a couple of penalties in the third, they didn’t give up. Colorado outshot San Diego 17–7 even though Colorado spent six minutes in the penalty box. Bryan Yoon started the wave with a delay of game, and then Behrens went for interference. Behrens quickly broke free with one thing on his mind. T.J. Tynan carried the puck into the Gulls’ zone and dropped it for Behrens to onetime it and make it 3–1. Barré-Boulet added a power-play goal, his second goal of the night, to make it 4–1. In the closing minutes, Makar broke away and buried the empty-net goal for his second in as many games.

Takeaways

The Eagles have now won 36 games, 19 of which have been at home. The issues that the Eagles have had have been that they have not been able to finish their games. On Tuesday, Colorado had a two-goal lead with two minutes to go and blew the lead. It was the fifth time Colorado had lost the lead in the final minutes and lost the game since January 1st. The Eagles also gave 39 shots on goal.

Wednesday was the complete opposite. Colorado had 42 shots on goal and took advantage of one of the power plays. Barré-Boulet and Makar made an enormous difference in both games, scoring three points and two points respectively on night two. Colorado was more aggressive on the puck and crashing the net as well.

Up next

The Eagles will stay home for two more games as they take on the fifth-place Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) on Saturday and Sunday. AHLTV on FloHockey.com will stream the game.