The Colorado Eagles hit the road for the first time in the 2025–26 season. The three game trip hit three different teams, all from the Pacific Division. Game one would see the Eagles battle the Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) and then a matinee against the Ontario Reign (LAK) the following afternoon. Colorado gained their feet back heading to the “Battle of the Birds” with a win against the San Diego Gulls (ANA). Goaltender Isak Posch may have solidified himself as the backup for the Eagles with his second shutout in just four games. Now the big question is, will head coach Mark Letestu stick with the hot hand once Trent Miner returns?

Saturday night: 3-1 victory against the Coachella Valley Firebirds

Written by Marie Sexton

Defenseman Sean Behrens returned to the lineup after missing an entire season rehabilitating an injury. After such a long absence, we might expect some rust, but he looked solid and comfortable paired with Wyatt Aamodt.

Goalie Isak Posch improved to 3–0, saving nineteen of the twenty shots he faced, including this one:

In his first game with the Eagles, Posch looked shaky, allowing four goals on seventeen shots for a save percentage of .765. Maybe it was nothing more than first-game jitters because in the two games since then, he’s been nearly perfect, allowing only one goal on a combined 37 shots.

Danil Gushchin played a fantastic game, making himself visible every single time he was on the ice. Check out this brief clip where he had two great opportunities. It’s a good example of his tenacity and impressive puck work.

His hard work finally paid off in the second period with this goal.

Jason Polin scored just a little over a minute later to put the Eagles up 2–1. Gushchin would also tack on an empty-net goal at the end of the game, giving him four total goals so far this season, and helping the Eagles improve to 3–0 for the season.

Gushchin was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) in exchange for Oskar Olausson. Olausson didn’t play a single game with the Barracuda, and they recently traded him to the Iowa Wild (MIN), so Colorado likely won that trade.

Tristen Nielsen continues to show why he’s such a great fit for the Colorado Eagles. One thing that has impressed me most so far is how hard he works to help his teammates. Tristen had assists on both of Gushchin’s goals. Late in the third period, as the Firebirds were desperately scrambling for a comeback goal, Tristen laid a big open-ice hit on former Eagle Ben Meyers. Ben immediately got up and dropped his gloves, but Nielsen looked up the ice, where the puck was still in play, and went to their aid rather than fighting.

I know some hockey fans will disapprove of this choice, believing he’s somehow obligated to fight just because Meyers wanted it. And if the whistle had blown, I think he would have. But the whistle hadn’t blown. The puck was still in play and in the Eagles’ possession as they fought to put the game away. Personally, I admire Nielsen for choosing to return to his position rather than causing his team to lose momentum.

You could also see this dedication to his team in the final minute of the game. Nielsen had a clear breakaway for the empty net goal, yet chose instead to pass the puck backwards to Gushchin. Together, Gushchin and Nielsen, along with center TJ Tynan, are proving to be a formidable line against any defense.

Sunday afternoon: 3–2 loss against the Ontario Reign

Written by Brennan Vogt

The Eagles have gone cold on the power play, although not nearly as bad as the Colorado Avalanche. Colorado came into Sunday afternoon converting three of eight chances on the power play, or 37 percent. They had five more chances on Sunday afternoon and could not convert on any of them. They had several impressive looks but could not connect. Gushchin scored in the second period right after the power play expired for his fifth tally of the season and his third goal in two games.

On the other side of the ice, discipline killed the Eagles against the Ontario Reign (LAK). Throughout the game, Colorado’s 10 penalties gave the Reign eight power plays. Ontario converted two of the chances, with the game-winning goal being one of them. Some penalties the Eagles committed were avoidable. In the third period, Chase Bradley got boarded and hit the player back. The referee penalized Bradley for roughing because they usually catch retribution. Tynan jumped over the wall too early, causing a too many men on the ice penalty. Tynan could have avoided it if he had waited one or two seconds. It was calls like these that cost the Eagles in the long run.

Ivan Ivan is now on a two-game point streak with a point in each of his last two games. He had an assist against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) on Saturday and then a goal against the Reign on Sunday. The goal showed some sparks of what he has learned with the Avalanche. He pinched the player along the boards to separate them from the puck and then moved toward the net. Polin took the shot, and Ivan cleaned up the rebound on the open net.

Wednesday: 2-0 victory against the San Diego Gulls

Written by Marie Sexton

The Eagles finished their road trip with a 2–0 victory against the San Diego Gulls (ANA). This game was reminiscent of the team’s second game of the season in that it started with an early goal, then devolved into a messy slog of a game.

Danil Gushchin kicked things off just over two minutes into the game, with an assist from TJ Tynan.

Following this, neither team scored any goals during 57 minutes of high-velocity, physical hockey.

The Eagles’ power play was frustratingly inconsistent. They had periods of sustained pressure offset by lapses and turnovers, often resulting in shorthanded rushes for the other team. Despite having some excellent opportunities and five power plays, they failed to score on the man advantage. On the bright side, their penalty kill was perfect, largely thanks to outstanding play by rookie goaltender Isak Posch. Posch picked up his second shutout of the season, stopping all twenty-six of San Diego’s shots. The second and final goal of the night was an empty-net tally scored by Tristen Nielsen in the final minute of the game.

Danil Gushchin continues to lead the team in both goals and points. He also leads the league in goals with six tallies in five games.

Upcoming

The Eagles now head home to face the Rockford IceHogs (CHI) on both Friday and Saturday night at Blue Arena. Like the Eagles, Rockford is currently 4–1–0. AHLTV on FloHockey.com will stream both games.