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ECHL Colorado Eagles

Watson Stings Former Team in 4-3 OT Win over Utah

March 22, 2018 - ECHL (ECHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, UT. - Eagles defenseman Cliff Watson scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in overtime, as Colorado defeated the Utah Grizzlies 4-3 on Wednesday. Watson's overtime tally capped off a three-goal rally that pushed the Eagles to their sixth-straight victory. Lukas Hafner collected the win in net, stopping 18 of the 21 shots he faced in the contest for his seventh consecutive win.

Utah would grab an early advantage when forward Travis Howe spun and fired from the left wing corner, beating Hafner and giving the Grizzlies the 1-0 lead at the 8:50 mark of the first period.

Colorado would find an equalizer less than five minutes later when forward Ryan Olsen centered a puck from the right wing corner to the top of the crease where Watson would tip the puck into the back of the net. The goal would tie the game at 1-1 with 6:12 remaining in the opening frame, as the two former Grizzlies would combine on the tally.

Utah would hop back in the lead in the second period when an Eagles turnover deep in their own zone led directly to a shot from the low-slot from forward Sam Babintsev that would light the lamp and give the Grizzlies a 2-1 edge at the 9:38 mark of the period.

The third period would see Utah stretch its advantage to 3-1 when forward Michael Pelech took advantage of another Colorado turnover and snapped the puck home from the slot with 10:59 remaining.

The Eagles would trim the deficit to one when Ryan Harrison fed a puck into the low-slot where forward Matt Garbowsky would swat the puck past Utah goalie Brandon Wildung to make it a 3-2 Grizzlies advantage with 5:05 remaining in the contest.

Just 1:05 later, Olsen snagged a pass on the left wing boards before skating through the left circle and burying a wrister to tie the game at 3-3.

Moving into sudden-death overtime Watson would collect a pass from Ben Storm and work his way into the slot before unfurling a shot that would beat Wildung and give Colorado the 4-3 victory.

Both teams finished 0-for-3 on the power play, as the Eagles outshot the Grizzlies 27-21 on the night. The win also trims Colorado's magic number to clinch the Mountain Division title to five points with seven games remaining in the regular season.

The Eagles return to action when they take on the Utah Grizzlies at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah on Friday, March 23rd at 7:05pm MT.

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