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CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Tie Rage for First, Announce '09 All-Star Game

February 23, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles tied the Rocky Mountain Rage for first place in the Northwest Division with a 4-1 victory on the same night they announced that the 2009 CHL All-Star Game will be held at the Budweiser Events Center. The Eagles and Rage will meet again Sunday afternoon for the second game in the home-and-home series.

The Eagles used a three-goal first period to get an early jump on the Rage and coasted the rest of the way for the win. Riley Nelson got the first score with one of the Eagles' best goals of the year at 3:59. As Colorado's first power play expired, Nelson skated the puck through the neutral zone, stick-handled through two Rage defenders at the blue line along the left-wing boards and beat Reid top-shelf with a shot from the center of the left circle. Ryan Tobler then made it 2-0 with his first goal since October 26 at 8:09. Dave Iannazzo controlled the puck deep along the right-wing boards as multiple Rage players converged on him. Iannazzo then deftly sent a pass across the grain to a wide open Tobler at the left hashes, where the veteran left-winger beat Reid. Ed McGrane scored on a similar play at 17:30 with the Eagles on a 5-on-3 advantage. Greg Pankewicz sent a pass from low on the left-wing boards to McGrane at the top of the circles. McGrane unloaded, and just as the puck reached Reid, the goaltender was jostled by his own defenseman and the puck snuck through for the final goal of the period

The Budweiser Events Center crowd got an added surprise - as if they didn't have reason enough to celebrate already - when the Eagles and the Central Hockey League announced prior to the second period that Colorado will host the 2009 CHL All-Star Game. Not only that, but the format of the game will be altered. In a spin-off of old-time hockey (when the NHL champs would take on the rest of the league's all-stars) the Eagles - as the host team - will play against the rest of the CHL's all-stars.

Rocky Mountain whittled the Eagles lead down to 3-1 with a goal halfway through the second period after getting several quality chances in the first 10 minutes. Three minutes in, Ladislav Kouba's shot from the point hit off Laplante's mask, then the crossbar and fell straight down where the Eagles' goalie dove back and gloved if before it could cross the line. A few minutes later, Kouba had another chance when Nathan Rosychuk hit him with a back-door pass on an odd-man rush, but Kouba pushed the puck just wide of the goal. Rosychuk took matters into his own hands at 10:07 when he scored a power play goal off a rebound just to the right of the net. The Rage did a good job keeping the Eagles to the outside of the zone for the remainder of the period, limiting their offensive chances.

The Eagles returned the defensive favor in the third as the Rage tried to come back, but failed to generate many chances from in close. The score remained 3-1 until McGrane scored into an empty net with 1:29 left in the game, setting up the pivotal second game of the weekend series in Broomfield.

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Central Hockey League Stories from February 23, 2008


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