ECHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Overcome Early Deficit for 5-3 Win against Wranglers

March 2, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The Colorado Eagles scored five straight goals to overcame an early 2-0 deficit in a 5-3 win against the Las Vegas Wranglers in the second game of a seven-game road trip. Adam Brown made 39 saves, and Colorado's penalty kill went 7-for-7 to help the team to a victory that pulled them within two points of the Wranglers in the Western Conference standings, while also putting them a pair of points away from their 10th playoff berth in as many seasons.

Las Vegas got the scoring started quickly when Sean Wiles' blast from atop the right circle on a rush got past Brown's right shoulder just 47 seconds into the game. The Wranglers then doubled their lead five minutes into the contest when Andrew Sarauer poked home a loose puck from the low slot.

But Colorado quickly countered that tally less than a minute later when Michael Forney circled behind the Wranglers' net and sent a pass through the crease where a crashing Matt Strueby was able to direct it home for his first professional goal.

Then with Colorado killing its fourth penalty of the opening period, Forney picked up his second assist by skating down the left wing and sending a backhand pass into the low slot where A.J. Hau was able to poke it past Mitch O'Keefe for a tying tally prior to the intermission.

After netting two goals on eight shots in the first frame, the Eagles were even more efficient in the second stanza, potting two more on just six shots to double-up the Wranglers after 40 minutes of play. Forney's hot night continued when he added a goal to his two assists with a carbon copy of Wiles' first period tally two and a half minutes into the second period.

After both of the Wranglers' first period goal scorers his posts in the second, the Eagles combined hard work with their luck by killing off a four minute double-minor for high-sticking midway through the period. That was followed by Brown denying Judd Blackwater from close in when the latter and All-Star Chris Francis created a 2-on-0 low in the Eagles' end following a turnover.

And with momentum clearly in their favor, the Eagles doubled their lead 17 minutes into the second stanza when Hau raced down the length of the ice along the left wing before leaving a pass in the left circle for Kyle Ostow to convert into a goal and a 4-2 lead.

The Eagles continued to be opportunistic in the third period, scoring a goal on just four shots, starting with their fifth unanswered tally on their first shot of the final frame. Steve Haddon won a faceoff in the right circle of the offensive zone back to Trent Daavettila, who sent the puck on net from the right point where Ostrow tipped it home for his second goal in a row, just six seconds into the team's third power play of the evening.

Las Vegas put an end to the Eagles' scoring streak at 8:20 when Robbie Smith took a pass in the low slot on an odd-man rush. Despite Brown making the initial save, Smith's momentum carried him into the netminder, pushing Brown and the puck into the net. But that's as close as the Wranglers would get despite another power play and an extra attacker for the final two minutes of the contest.

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