LOVELAND, Colo. — If the AHL playoffs started today, the Colorado Eagles would be in the second round without having to face an opponent.

With that in mind, every game counts. Before taking to the ice against the Bakersfield Condors (EDM), the team was leading their closest opponent, the Ontario Reign (LAK) by four points.

Even though coach Aaron Schneekloth can’t predict the future, the outcome for the season is no surprise. The road to playoffs shines with consistency and success.

“We set our expectations, and we set our standards,” he said. “We found what works for our group, and we worked at it every single day. I give credit to our leadership group and both our prospects and young players, and obviously the staff involved to get us where we’re at.”

By the time the two teams met at center ice, the Eagles were holding strong in the standings at first in the Pacific Division, first in the Western Conference, and third overall in the league. Not to mention, they were on a four-game win streak. Bakersfield was sporting a record of 5–4–1–0 in their last ten.

The Eagles fell to the Condors 4–3 after a tough battle and a long road trip, ending with a victory over the San Diego Gulls on Saturday, March 14.

Takeaways

Right away, the Eagles showed a quickness on the ice that the Condors seemed to lack. Throughout the first period, there was a sense of cohesion that makes the team seemingly unstoppable in the 2024-2025 season. A trait of this year’s team that shines the most is how well they play together as a unit.

The zone entry from the team was incredibly strong throughout the first frame. Toward the second period, there were hints of uncertainty, and it showed.

Goaltender Trent Miner has been a solid starter for the Eagles all season, but tonight he aimed for a win. With the score tied 1–1 in the second period, Miner’s string of spectacular saves allowed Colorado’s offense to push for a lead instead of playing catch-up.

Unfortunately, there was a difficulty playing to the identity of the team once returning home. However, Schneekloth knew it would be a tough game and was proud of how the team tried to stay positive.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” he said. “Obviously, Bakersfield is scratching and clawing at that last playoff position and being back home after an extended period, for whatever reason, you have a little wall in your group. I thought we did a good job trying to create some energy, but there were just some areas that they were better than us.”

Despite a shot disparity favoring the Eagles heading into the second period, the Condors find the back of the net 51 seconds into the start of the frame. It took the home lineup longer than usual to find a response.

A trait of this year’s team that shines the most is how easy responding to goals of their opponent seems. However, the Condors were not in the business of giving up any easy goals, as they were not in a favorable playoff position and played as such. Even when drawing penalties, the Eagles seemed to balk at the power play opportunities. Overall, Colorado has a power play percentage of 21.5%, and a home percentage of 25.0%. They went two-for-seven on the night.

Matthew Philips was the first on the board for Colorado, netting a goal on one of the two man-advantage goals. The assists went to Jack Ahcan and Jacob MacDonald. Philips’ goal was his since the tide-changing game against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA) on March 12.

MacDonald had quite the offensive night himself. He scored his first goal early into the third period, giving the Eagles a one-goal advantage. He also claimed the other power play lamplighter, making him an integral part in the Eagles’ goal-scoring. In the last four games, he has five goals and three assists. His offensive play shines at key moments, making him a key asset.

Just after MacDonald’s goal is where things went downhill. Not only did the Condors bring things back to baseline and equalize the score, but they also scored another only a few seconds later. The latter of the two found the back of the net while Colorado was on the penalty kill, which has a home success rate of 84.9%

Upcoming

The Colorado Eagles will continue their home stand with three more games this week. The Eagles will face the Condors in a rematch tomorrow at Blue Arena in Loveland at 7:05 p.m. MDT., then play the Tucson Roadrunners on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. AHLTV on FloHockey.com will stream the game.