ECHL Colorado Eagles

Short-benched Eagles Top Grizzlies, 5-0; Brown Gets First Pro Shutout

February 23, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Utah Grizzlies, 5-0, in the second of three games in as many days between the rivals. Colorado played the game with just 13 skaters -- including only four defensemen -- but put together a performance that helped rookie netminder Adam Brown earn his first career shutout with 30 saves.

Dylan Hood got the scoring started for the home team at 6:42 when he skated down the right wing and used his elite speed to skate right past the Utah defenseman before cutting toward the crease and slipping a backhander 5-hole on Adam Morrison.

With the Eagles skating on a power play midway through the opening frame, Utah nearly tied the game -- twice -- when Colin Vock, the Grizzlies' leading goal-scorer, had two breakaway chances, but Brown stonewalled him each time.

Colorado was working its second power play of the opening period as time wound down on the first frame when Michael Forney -- on his bobblehead night -- slid home his own backhander from the doorstep with just 3.3 seconds left to give the home team a 2-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The Eagles stretched their lead to 3-0 at 13:40 of the second period when Kevin Ulanski picked up a Ray Kaunisto drop-pass in the right circle and fired a shot that banked in off the far post. Late in the frame it was Utah skating with an extra man when Brown made one of the best saves of the season by moving left to right to rob David Eddy on a back-door chance.

Brown continued his outstanding performance 4:45 into the third when he stopped the Grizzlies on a 2-on-1 odd-man rush. At the other end of the ice, the Eagles struggled to increase their lead -- despite spending nearly four consecutive minutes in Utah's zone on a pair of power plays midway through the period -- as Shane Owen, who replaced Morrison in the Grizzlies' net to start the third, made some big saves of his own.

But at 13:44, Trent Daavettila one-timed a cross-ice feed from Ulanski to make it 4-0. And less than three minutes later, Hood made it 5-0 when he sped down the left wing and unleashed a rocket from the circle that beat Owen. The Eagles killed a late Utah power play -- making them a perfect 4-for-4 on the night -- to help solidify the win and Brown's first blanking.

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