Sports stats



CHL Colorado Eagles

Eagles Week In Review

February 4, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week In Review

Monday, February 28; Nelson's Strong Week Earns Him League Honors

The Central Hockey League announced that Riley Nelson of the Colorado Eagles is the recipient of the Oakley CHL Player of the Week award for the week ending on January 27th. Nelson helped lead the Eagles to a perfect 3-0 week scoring three goals with three assists and recording a +5 plus/minus rating. The Cranbrook, British Columbia native started the week off with a great performance recording four points (2-2-4) in a 7-5 victory over the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees. After a scoreless game in the Eagles 4-3 win at Arizona on Friday, Nelson rebounded with a shorthanded goal and an assist in Colorado's 4-3 win on Saturday night versus the Sundogs. The 5-9, 175-pound forward has posted an even or plus in each of the last nine games (+10) while racking up 17 points (8-9=17) over that stretch. For the season, the fifth-year Eagle has posted 373 points (154-219=373) in 280 career games. In recognition of his achievement, Nelson will receive a special gift from Oakley.

Monday, January 28; Colorado Trades for Goaltender Sebastien Laplante

WINDSOR, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles made their second trade within a week with the Wichita Thunder when they acquired goaltender Sebastien Laplante for Marco Emond, Mike Lukajic and future rights. Laplante, a ninth round draft pick of the L.A. Kings in 2001 (#277 overall), comes to Colorado after spending his entire 2 ½ year CHL career with the Thunder (just like Kris Wiebe, acquired last Tuesday). The Casselman, Ontario native won 52 of 108 games played for Wichita, posting career highs in save percentage (.928) and goals-against average (2.65) last season. Emond - who will obtain veteran status heading into next season - leaves Colorado with 41 wins, a 2.76 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage as an Eagle. Lukajic has played in 21 total games for the Eagles in two separate stints this season, compiling 11 points (7-4-11).

Tuesday, January 29; Eagles Comeback Falls Short Against Oilers

TULSA, Okla. - The Tulsa Oilers beat the Colorado Eagles 5-4, handing the President's Cup champs their first loss in Tulsa since October 25, 2003 (the team's first meeting against the Oilers) and just their second ever loss in Tulsa. Bryan Bridges got the start for Colorado, but fell victim to too many bad bounces as the opportunistic Oilers held on for the win. The Oilers owned the first period, out-shooting the Eagles 14-6 on the way to a 2-0 lead. Momentum see-sawed in the second. Les Borsheim got the Eagles on the board 11 seconds into a power play, scoring his 6th goal of the season - a career high. Borsheim deflected a Riley Nelson one-timer off Guy St. Vincent's blocker. Momentum took its biggest turn about four minutes into the period when both Greg Pankewicz and Kris Wiebe missed open-net chances only to have Darren McKague score for the Oilers half a minute later. Tulsa got another goal just 50 seconds after that when a Robin Richards' shot from the point pin-balled off an Eagles player and then Curtis Voth for a 4-1 lead. Colorado cut the lead in half at 12:05 after Aaron Schneekloth kept the puck in at the blue line and passed to Jay Birnie who spun and fired the puck past St. Vincent. But Jeff Christian extended his league high scoring streak to 23 games four minutes later when the puck took another Oilers bounce. Bridges went behind the net to play the puck, but it took a bad bounce out of the corner and deflected right to Christian in front of the empty net. The Eagles battled back in the third, dominating the period and out-shooting Tulsa 15-4. Steve Haddon cut the Oilers' lead to 5-3 at 3:23 when he dug the puck out of the corner and fought his way through a check on the way to the net before stuffing the puck past the Oilers' goaltender. And at 8:07, Brett Thurston got his first professional goal in his 38th regular season game (he also went goal-less in 25 playoff games last year). Dave Iannazzo got the assist, extending his point streak to nine games (5-8-13). Colorado had their chances to tie it up at five, but Tulsa killed two Eagles power plays and St. Vincent shut the door as the period wound down to net the win for the Oilers - their first against the Eagles in over two years (January 4, 2006).

Wednesday, January 30; Have a Bouquet Delivered at the Feb. 13 Eagles Game

Eagles Fans...Surprise your special someone with a heart-filled delivery at the Eagles Valentine's Day game on February 13th. Slapshot and the Eagles Chicks will be delivering bouquets of 6 roses from Palmer Flowers during the game. Space is limited to 60 deliveries, so don't wait. Bouquets are just $40, with all proceeds benefiting the Colorado Eagles Foundation. To order a beautiful bouquet for your special someone, call the Eagles' office at (970) 686-SHOT (7468). To pay by check, please stop by the Eagles office in person at:

1625 Pelican Lakes Point, Suite 100

Windsor, CO 80550

Or, stop by Guest Services on the main concourse during any Eagles home game to sign up.

Friday, February 1; Blazers Score Four in Third for 5-4 Comeback Win

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Oklahoma City Blazers scored three unanswered goals in the final period to top the Colorado Eagles 5-4. Sebastien Laplante got his first start as an Eagle, facing off against the Blazers' Sean Connors, and he performed much better than the five goals against would lead one to believe. The Eagles had the game in control until a third period meltdown resulted in three Blazers goals in just over three minutes. Laplante didn't get his Colorado career off to the kind of start he wanted, allowing a goal on the very first shot he faced less than two minutes into the game. But Laplante stopped the next 12 shots he faced, making a handful of big saves - two huge ones on the penalty kill. The Eagles tied the game at one at 5:07 (with the teams skating four-on-four) when Ed McGrane skated the puck down the right side of the ice before back-handing a pass from the circle to Greg Pankewicz who was crashing the net. The assist was McGrane's 37th of the season, moving him past Pankewicz and into the team lead. Colorado's special teams struck twice in the second to make it a 3-1 game. At 8:47, during their third penalty kill of the period, Seth Leonard scored on a breakaway; Leonard broke free and fought through a hook in the low slot before chipping the puck past Connors. With 71 seconds left in the period it was the power play's turn to score a goal as Les Borsheim tallied his seventh goal of the year from the right faceoff dot to torment his former team. In the third, DJ Jelitto made it 2-3 for the Blazers with a power play goal at 4:03, scoring the first of four Oklahoma City goals in the final frame. Laplante delayed the inevitable halfway through the period when he kept the Eagles in the lead by stoning the Blazers on two more power play chances - first with a splits-save and then by recovering to snuff a wraparound chance. Just moments later, he made another big save that resulted in a Colorado goal as the play went the other way. Brad Williamson scored at 10:27 from Aaron Schneekloth to put the Eagles up 4-2. Oklahoma City just kept coming, however, and Marty Standish got the goal right back at 11:42 on a short-handed breakaway. A minute later, the game was tied after a defensive breakdown; Mike Burgoyne passed the puck from behind the net to a wide open Garret Prosofsky on the doorstep. Burgoyne had a hand in the game-winning goal as well. At 14:58, Michael Kaye - fighting through an Eagles defenseman - swooped in and swept a Burgoyne rebound past Laplante from below the left circle. The goal came on the Blazers' tenth power play of the night and gave them the lead at 5-4. The third period meltdown marked the second time all year - and the second game in a row - that the Eagles have scored four goals and lost. It was also the first time all season that the Eagles lost a game after leading heading into the third period (now 16-1-3).

Saturday, February 2; Eagles Drop Third Straight on Road, 6-4 to Brahmas

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas - The Colorado Eagles fell to the Texas Brahmas 4-6 to close out their longest road trip of the season. The game was tied at two heading into the third period, but the Brahmas tallied four goals - two into an empty net - in the final frame to hand the Eagles their third loss in a row. The Eagles wasted little time putting their previous game behind them as Ed McGrane put his team on top just 37 seconds in. Seth Leonard left a drop pass for McGrane as they entered the Texas zone and McGrane skated into the slot before snapping the puck past David Cacciola. The Brahmas would tie it up at 7:41 (on just their second shot of the game) when Tyler Skworchinski deflected a Jordan Cameron shot behind Sebastien Laplante from in close. But the Eagles would get the lead back just a minute later when Kris Wiebe poked the puck past a sprawled out Cacciola from the low slot for his first goal in a Colorado jersey. The Brahmas tied the game at two in the second period when Anders Strome scored his team-leading 21st goal at 7:40 by poking in a rebound from the right of the crease. The Eagles penalty killers did their part to keep the game knotted up the rest of the period by killing three Texas power plays in the second; Colorado didn't receive their first (and only) man-advantage opportunity of the game until just 17 seconds remained in the second period. Leonard put the Eagles on top again at 6:23 of the final frame on a goal from Dave Iannazzo and McGrane, but the Brahmas tied it right back up again just two minutes later. Skworchinski took a shot from the left point that hit a skate in front and caromed past Laplante. Texas then took their first lead of the game with another deflected goal at 11:06 when Craig Minard threw the puck on net from high along the right-wing boards and Kevin Korol tipped it in front. The fireworks appeared to be over with 1:20 left when Scott Sheppard scored into an empty net, but McGrane scored his second of the night with just 62 seconds left to make it a 4-5 game. The Eagles couldn't close the gap further however, and Greg McConnell scored another empty-netter with nine ticks left to make the final margin 6-4 for Texas.

The Week Ahead

Friday, February 8; Colorado Looks to Stay Undefeated at Home Against Odessa

LOVELAND, Colo. - Coming off their longest road trip of the season, the Eagles will look to break their three-game losing streak when they take on the Odessa Jackalopes at the BEC. It will be Colorado's first home game since January 23. The Eagles are 5-0-0 against the Jackalopes all-time at home.

Saturday, February 9; Eagles Try to Extend Winning Streak Against Sundogs

LOVELAND, Colo. - After winning back-to-back away games against Arizona at the end of January (Colorado's first ever wins in Arizona), the Eagles will look to make it three in a row on Saturday night. All-time, the Eagles are 5-1-0 against the Sundogs at the BEC with the lone loss coming earlier this season.

Notable Numbers

OUT-SHOOT TO WIN - There is a clear advantage for Colorado when they out-shoot their opponent. This season, the Eagles are 17-5-1 when registering more shots than the opposition but just 6-7-4 when being out-shot. Along those lines, the Eagles are 13-4-2 when scoring the first goal of the game.

TURNING TRENDS - Until the last three games, the number four seemed to be the magic number for the Eagles this season. When Colorado scored at least four goals, they had lost only one game in regulation (18-1-5). However, they scored exactly four goals in each of their past three games and lost them all. When Colorado scores fewer than four goals their record drops to 6-8-0.

INTER-MISSIONS - When the Eagles take a lead into an intermission break, they're almost guaranteed a win. Colorado is 11-1-1 when taking a lead into the locker room for the first intermission, and is 16-1-3 with a lead after two periods of play. All-time, Colorado's is 156-5-7 when heading into the third period on top. On the other hand, when trailing at the end of the second they are 3-9-1 this season.

CLOSE CONTESTS - Over 50 percent (21-41) of the Eagles games have been decided by just one goal, with Colorado going 11-5-5 in such contests. Furthermore, 14 of their other 20 games have come down to a two-goal margin (8-6-0). All-in-all, that means that 85.4 percent of all Eagles games this season have been decided by just one or two goals, with the team going 19-11-5 in such cases.

ODE TO DOMINANCE - Colorado holds an all-time record of 7-1-1 against the Jackalopes, going undefeated at the Budweiser Events Center in five meetings. In those five games, the Eagles have scored twice as many goals as Odessa (18 to 9).

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Central Hockey League message board...

Central Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central