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CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Power Their Way Into Playoffs

February 11, 2009 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles clinched a playoff berth with their 5-3 win over the defending President's Cup champion Arizona Sundogs. All five Eagles goals came on the power play, as both Steve Haddon and Ryan Tobler tallied twice on the man-advantage. Colorado's penalty killers excelled as well, stopping five of six Sundogs chances, including a five minute major that included a full 5-on-3 chance in the third.

The first period was played close to the vest as neither team managed to reach double-digits in shots, and the Eagles did not register their first of nine until five minutes had passed. Arizona got the period's lone power play opportunity midway through but failed to convert, and the score stayed deadlocked until the period's final minute. With 51.9 seconds left in the first, Rob Lehtinen sent the puck into the crease from behind the Eagles' net where Dwayne Hay whiffed but Chris Bartolone was able to chip it over Morgan Cey, marking his fourth game in a row with a goal.

Things opened up in the second as Colorado went three-for-four on the man-advantage to counter two more Arizona goals and knot the score up at three heading into the third period. Haddon tied the game at 1 just 68 seconds in, getting his first of two power-play goals in the period. After an Ed McGrane point shot got knocked down in front, Konrad Reeder found Haddon in the low slot for the score.

The Sundogs answered just 46 seconds later, however, when Lehtinen snapped a shot past Cey from the left faceoff dot. But Haddon, Reeder and McGrane struck again with another man-advantage goal at 7:45 when Haddon deflected McGrane's point shot from in front.

Arizona regained the lead five minutes later when Jon Landry took the puck on his backhand from the left circle to the slot before beating the Eagles' netminder just after a 5-on-3 advantage had turned into a 5-on-4. Then at 17:53, McGrane beat Marco Emond from inside the right circle after a faceoff win, just four seconds into Colorado's second power play in a row.

The Eagles were awarded an almost-full 5-on-3 at the start of the final frame and Tobler deflected an Aaron Schneekloth shot from the top of the circles at 1:57 to take advantage. Things got interesting as the first half of the third period ended, when Colorado was forced to kill a five minute major penalty to Greg Pankewicz, plus a full 5-on-3 when Jason Beatty was called for a slash.

With Arizona unable to convert, the Eagles rode the momentum the rest of the way. The Sundogs nearly tied the game at 4 with just 13.7 seconds left when Cey was handcuffed by a shot from the left wing and the puck crossed the goal line after a mad scramble in front, but the score was waived off on a delayed penalty against Jason Lawmaster. Tobler then added his second power-play goal of the period with just 1.7 seconds left when he beat Emond with a shot into the top right corner from the right circle.

The Eagles will take on the Mississippi RiverKings in a set of back-to-back games Friday and Saturday at the Budweiser Events Center.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 11, 2009


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