ECHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

Published on March 25, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

Wednesday, March 20; Eagles Spring Forward in Standings by Doubling-Up Aces

LOVELAND, Colo. - In the first of three games between the teams this week, the Colorado Eagles defeated the Alaska Aces, 4-2, to spring into 5th place in the Western Conference standings. Colorado now leads Las Vegas by a point and trails Stockton by five (with two games -- and a possible four points -- in hand) with five games left in the regular season.

Thursday, March 21; Amateur Brock Nixon Added to Eagles Roster

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles of the ECHL announced today the addition of amateur forward Brock Nixon to their roster. Nixon is coming off a five year collegiate career at the University of Calgary, the last of which saw him act as the Dinos' captain.

In five seasons with the Dinos, the 6-foot, 185-pound forward recorded 111 points (51-6-111) in 140 games. In addition to acting as the team's captain this season, Nixon also earned 2nd-Team All-Star honors. Prior to playing for the University of Calgary, Nixon tallied 213 points (98-115-213) in 314 games over five seasons in the Western Hockey League.

Friday, March 22; Eagles Add Another Amateur in Greg Gardner

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles of the ECHL announced today the acquisition of their second amateur forward in as many days with the addition of Greg Gardner to their roster. Gardner is coming off a five year collegiate career at the University of Alberta, the past two of which he acted as the team's captain.

A 6-foot, 195-pound forward, Gardner recorded 72 points (33-39-72) in 133 games with the Golden Bears. Prior to playing for the University of Alberta, Gardner tallied 119 points (54-65-119) in 338 games over five seasons in the Western Hockey League, in addition to seeing five game's worth of action with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League (as a 20-year old).

Friday, March 22; Aces Top Eagles in Penalty-Filled Contest

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Alaska Aces defeated the Colorado Eagles, 5-3, in a penalty-filled contest that marked the second of three meetings between the teams this week. Referee Geoff Miller issued 20 power plays on the night (despite only one fight), adding up to 58 minutes' worth of penalties. Five of the game's eight goals were scored via power plays.

Saturday, March 23; Pair of Quick Strikes Help Aces Past Eagles, 2-1

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Alaska Aces used a pair of goals just 21 seconds apart to edge the Colorado Eagles, 2-1, in the third game between the clubs this week. The win secured the Aces' third straight regular season ECHL championship, with the Kelly Cup playoffs just over a week away. The game was Colorado's last at home for the regular season, as they'll play in Utah three times next week before participating in their 10th straight playoff run.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Wednesday, March 27, Friday, March 29, Saturday & March 30; Eagles Close Out Regular Season in Utah

The Eagles will close out their 10th anniversary regular season with three games in Utah against the Grizzlies. A single point in the three games will guarantee Colorado at least the 6th seed in the Western Conference for the upcoming Kelly Cup playoffs that will begin next week, while a good week could potentially vault them into 5th place. The Eagles are 6-1-3 this season against the Grizzlies, including a record of 1-1-2 in Utah.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

STILL UP IN THE AIR - At the start of the final week of the regular season, Colorado's playoff position and opponent for the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs is still undecided. With just a single point this week against the Grizzlies, the Eagles will lock up at least the Western Conference's 6th seed, and a strong week could still allow them to leap-frog Las Vegas for 5th. The 5th seed would face the Stockton Thunder, while the 6th seed will likely face the Idaho Steelheads, unless they can pass the Ontario Reign, of whom they are four points back with three games to go.

EXPECT CLOSE CONTESTS - If this week's games against the Grizzlies hold true to form, expect close contests. Of the 11 games played between the teams all-time at the Maverik Center, nine have been decided by just a single score. Of those, five have gone past regulation, four of which went all the way to a shootout. Moreover, Utah is riding a stretch of nine games without a regulation loss, five of which have taken more than 60 minutes to decide.

AGAINST THE GRIZZLIES - The Eagles have had good success against their closest rivals, going 14-4-5 against the Grizzlies all-time while out-scoring them 95-62. The games played in Utah, however, have been much closer. Colorado is 5-3-3 all-time at the Maverik Center, where they've actually been out-scored 38-34.

KEEPING TABS - Michael Forney 's assist last Saturday did more than move him closer to the league's points title, it moved him past Fraser Filipic and into sole possession of 12th place on the Eagles' all-time points list with 125. Forney enters the final week of the season three points behind Florida's Mathieu Roy for the league lead, and two goals behind Alaska's Nick Mazzolini & Ontario's Colton Yellow Horn (currently in the AHL) for the league lead.

POINTLESS TALK - Chad Costello 's next point will put him into a tie for 10th place on the Eagles' all-time points list with Sean Robertson (132). He's due for a point because he hasn't recorded one in the past two games, and out of the 80 games he's played in a Colorado jersey, the league's reigning MVP has gone without a point in just 12 of them. He's only gone three games without a point in that time once, but it comes with an asterisk, as he left the third game midway through with a season-ending injury.

WEDNESDAY WINS - The Eagles have played their best this season on Wednesdays, compiling a record of 9-3-2 in mid-week games. Their combined record the rest of the week is just 24-27-4.

OTHER HAPPENINGS

Be The Advantage - The Kelly Cup playoffs will begin next week, and when the opening round series makes its way back to the Budweiser Events Center, the team is asking its fans to "Be The Advantage!" For more information on playoff logistics -- including dates, opponents & tickets -- keep an eye on www.ColoradoEagles.com for updates.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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