ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia—The Colorado Eagles have had an incredible season. With several records broken and undeniable chemistry on the ice, this postseason felt different.

Seizing the Pacific Division Champion title and earning a bye in the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs was invaluable. Stopping a hot San Jose Barracuda in four games was a great way to set the tone in the second round.

But, the Pacific Division Final matchup would be more difficult than expected. Despite having a solid team with nearly unbeatable goaltender Trent Miner, the Abbotsford Canucks would test the Eagles on every front.

In their regular season bouts, Colorado put up a record of 2–4–1–1. The Abbotsford team has always been a struggle for Colorado, and this postseason series would be no exception.

The Eagles dominated the first period of play. They put up seven shots, including several high danger chances, which were ultimately halted by Abbotsford’s goaltender, Artūrs Šilovs. Though the first frame ended scoreless, Colorado would have to kick it into high gear to overcome the sluggish outing of the second frame.

The Canucks received two power plays during the contest and scored 26 seconds into their second power play.

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It would be a deep hole to climb out of. With the push in energy and momentum from the home team, Colorado seemed to struggle to find their feet. The third period featured more energy out of the gate, and finally spending more time in the offensive zone.

Unfortunately, that liveliness didn’t last long. The Eagles quickly became disjointed, missing passes, and allowing turnovers dangerously deep in the zone. A brief glimmer of hope appeared with only three minutes remaining in the game. T.J. Tynan took a fist to the face in front of an official, forcing a late-game power play.

Even with it on their side, they fell short, and an empty net goal from Abbotsford sealed it with a disappointing 2–0 loss.

Takeaways

The Colorado Eagles struggled to make use of the power plays. They had three opportunities and a few good looks, but didn’t find an opportunity to make it happen. With an opponent as strong as the Canucks, it is imperative to take advantage whenever they arise.

Abbotsford did an excellent job with their takeaways and capitalizing on turnovers. The Eagles didn’t have the drive to get into their own offensive zone.

Going into Game Two on the road already down a game is not ideal in a five-game series. They will have to make adjustments and dig deep when they take the ice next game.

Upcoming

Colorado will have a rematch with Abbotsford on Sunday, May 18 at 7 p.m. in Abbotsford. FloHockey.com will stream the game.