LOVELAND, Colo. — For the Colorado Eagles, it has been tough to find the back of the net. Since Dec. 28 against the Iowa Wild, Riley Tufte has been shut out.
The Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with an overtime winner on Jan. 13, but the slump the team was in was at risk of picking back up against the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday, especially with so many of the regular roster playing with the Colorado Avalanche.
First period
The Eagles started the game hot by throwing shots on the net and were rewarded with an early goal from defenseman Brad Hunt. The goal came as no surprise since he had been spending a lot of time in the offensive zone and putting the puck near the net, and the power play was the perfect opportunity to score.
Hunt puts us on the board first! pic.twitter.com/sYZnoGy9WH
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024
Hunt said his goal was not only a result of his own efforts on the net, but he could score because of Tufte’s position in the slot.
Just a few minutes later, Tufte added to the lead and scored his first goal of 2024. The two goals were scored before the Condors had even had an opportunity on the net.
Tufts = no quit😤 pic.twitter.com/SEVEkyrwL9
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024
Though, 14 minutes has a lot of potential for either team to take advantage of mistakes. Just past the 18-minute mark, the Condors narrowed the margin to one goal.
Is Lane Pederson secretly Patrick Mahomes? #Condorstown pic.twitter.com/upWBHvJLSg
— Bakersfield Condors (@Condors) January 17, 2024
Second period
Colorado maintained its lead through the middle frame. The team outshot Bakersfield 10 to nine, though neither team could net a goal.
At the end of the period, Spencer Smallman and Bakersfield’s Dino Kambeitz were both issued five minutes for fighting, leaving both teams shorthanded to begin the last frame.
Smallman droppin the gloves👊 pic.twitter.com/gDNt636xX8
— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 17, 2024
Third period
After a scoreless second frame, the Eagles were sitting in a good spot. But the team would need to keep up the tight defense if they wanted to secure the first win of the two-game series and goaltender Trent Miner would need to stay strong in the net.
The team ultimately walked away with a 2–1 victory despite only outshooting their opponent in one out of the three frames.
In the end, it is no surprise. Colorado had a 7–0–0 record when leading after the first period, and they have now added one more victory to that statistic.
With the playoffs on the horizon, there is still time to adjust and get into the mindset of a possible post-season appearance. Even in the face of adversity, Hunt knows where the team needs to be at the end of the season.
“I think we can learn from the past, but not focus on it,” he said. “We need to look to the future and take it game by game.”
Takeaways
The Colorado Avalanche recalled goalie Justus Annunen for their road trip, giving space for Miner between the pipes against the Condors. He successfully fended off 30 out of 31 shots and has proved himself to be a reliable goaltender.
Colorado converted on their only power play, contributing to their season power play percentage of 15.5%. Taking advantage of the power play early into the game set the team up for a successful showing.
Top scorers Hunt and Tufte broke their scoring drought, but Jack Ahcan hasn’t seen success since Nov. 25 against the Texas Stars, where he collected two goals. Without three of the top five scorers producing goals, it is easy to see why the lineup had a hard time finding a victory.
The Eagles will face off against the Condors again Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 7:05 p.m.