ECHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Even Series with 5-4 Triple-Overtime Win over Utah

Published on April 18, 2016 under ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


(Loveland, CO) - The Colorado Eagles needed three overtimes, but ultimately defeated the Utah Grizzlies 5-4 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, as forward Darryl Bootland scored the game-winner 2:31 into triple overtime. The night also saw the Eagles and Pedersen Toyota present a $44,000 check to the UCHealth Cancer Center during the second intermission as a part of the team's 'Hockey Fights Cancer' initiative.

Utah got on the board first when forward T.J. Syner got a shot from the point past Eagles goaltender Kris Lazaruk to take a 1-0 lead at the 7:53 mark of the first period.

Colorado took off after Utah's goal, scoring three times in a span of just 90 seconds.

Eagles defenseman Jake Marto took a pass from forward Tyler Fiddler off the faceoff and buried it into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 at the 12:03 mark of the first. Just 30 seconds later, defenseman Collin Bowman let loose a bullet from the circle on a rush down the ice to give Colorado a 2-1 lead with 7:57 to play in the first.

The Eagles capped off their scoring run when forward Everett Sheen fired a wrister past Utah goaltender Mark Owuya to give Colorado a 3-1 lead at the 13:03 mark of the opening frame.

After the Eagles scoring onslaught, the Grizzlies elected to make a goaltending change, putting in Ryan Farragher in place of Owuya, who allowed three goals on five shots. The 3-1 Colorado lead held into the first intermission.

Early in the second, Utah defenseman Connor Hardowa cut the Colorado lead to one at 3-2, getting the puck to dribble past Eagles goaltender Kris Lazaruk at the 4:58 mark of the period.

The Grizzlies gathered another opportunity when a penalty shot was awarded to Syner at the 6:36 mark of the second. The shot went wide and Colorado would take a 3-2 lead into second intermission.

Just 59 seconds into the third period, Grizzlies forward Ryan Hayes scored for Utah from between the circles to tie the game at 3-3.

The Eagles regained the lead with 16:06 to play in the game when Bootland took a pass from the blue line on the side of the net and stuffed it home to give Colorado a 4-3 lead.

Colorado's advantage didn't hold for long, as Utah found a 4-on-4 opportunity and forward Charles Sarault put the puck in the net tying the game at 4-4 with 12:42 to play in regulation. The Eagles and Grizzlies would need extra time to decide this one as time ran out on the third period.

The Eagles and Grizzlies battled through two overtimes, but neither team found the back of the net in those 40 minutes of extra play.

Just 2:31 into the third overtime, Bootland ripped a shot into the top corner on a 2-on-1 rush to give Colorado the 5-4 win and tying the best-of-seven series at 1-1.

Colorado ended the night going 1-for-6 on the power play, while shutting down all nine of the Grizzlies man-advantage opportunities. Lazaruk claimed the win in net, making 40 saves in 102:31 of action.

The Eagles head to West Valley City, Utah for Game Three against the Grizzlies on Thursday, April 21st at 7:05pm.

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ECHL Stories from April 18, 2016


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