DENVER – When the Tucson Roadrunners came to visit the Colorado Eagles this past weekend, Colorado was in the middle of a hot run. After a 5-1 win Friday night, the Eagles extended their ten-game record to 9-0-1 with a 12-game point streak going back to December 7. Colorado also hadn’t lost at home in regulation since November 16 against Bakersfield.
As the well-used adage goes, all good things must come to an end.
Colorado was downed by Tucson by a score of 4-2 this past Saturday. A scoreless first period was a far cry from the four-goal opening frame the Eagles had the night before. The Roadrunners also scored three unanswered goals in the second and third periods, with the last being an empty-netter from forward Tyler Steenbergen at 17:31 of the third.
The 4-1 hole became 4-2 after a Shane Bowers goal at 18:09, but it was too little too late for Colorado. Shoddy ice conditions and a handful of lackluster defensive efforts in front of Eagles netminder Hunter Miska doomed the Eagles against the division-leading Roadrunners.
Here are some of the line combinations Colorado used in Saturday night’s defeat:
FORWARDS
- Condra-O’Connor-Tynan
- Campbell-Megna-Kaut
- Bowers-Dries-Greer
- Henry-Joly-Shvyrev
DEFENSEMEN
- MacDonald-Rosen
- Alt-Renouf
- Davis-Lindholm
POWER PLAY
- Forwards: Condra, Dries, Joly, Tynan
- D-Men: MacDonald, Rosen
PENALTY KILL
- Forwards: Bowers, Campbell, Kaut, Megna, O’Connor, Tynan
- D-Men: Alt, Lindholm, MacDonald, Renouf, Rosen
EAGLES DRIVE ROADRUNNERS LOONEY
In spite of their loss against Tucson on Saturday, Colorado have had reason to celebrate against the Roadrunners in recent weeks. During their eight-game win streak through December and the beginning of January, the Eagles took two games from Tucson in Arizona (4-3 on Dec. 28 and 4-1 on Dec. 29). The Roadrunners had won eight straight at home against divisional opponents before these two losses to Colorado.
With Tucson owning the Pacific Division lead and carrying one of the best records in the AHL, Colorado taking three of four games against the Roadrunners in the past two weeks shows promise for the Eagles should these two happen to face off in the postseason.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Colorado will head to California to take on divisional foes San Jose, Bakersfield, and Stockton for four games in six days. The Eagles will have three days rest before taking the ice at the SAP Center against the Barracuda on Wednesday, January 15. Colorado will head back to Loveland on Friday, January 24 to host the San Antonio Rampage.
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