From the Eagles Desk: Playoff Rematch
The Eagles split a home series with their playoff foes from last season and a team that they’re battling closely this year in the Bakersfield Condors. Friday’s game was a masterpiece by Hunter Miska then Saturday the Condors won in a deflating comeback.
Injuries/Transactions
– Martin Kaut has been practicing non-contact but wasn’t ready to go yet
– Kevin Connauton was returned from the Avs on Saturday
– Travis Barron took a puck to the face in practice last week. Didn’t suit up Friday but played Saturday with a full cage.
– Shane Bowers was hurt in game 1 and left sometime in the middle of P2. Did not play Saturday.
– Mark Alt did not play Saturday either, which is odd since he scored the empty-netter Friday night at the end of the game
– Ty Lewis was recalled from Utah on Sunday
– As the Avs continue to gain/lose players more transactions have happened. O’Connor and Greer were called up and Werner sent down on Monday. Bibeau was sent back Tuesday. McDonald and Miska have now been returned to Utah.
COL 3 – BAK 0
Goals: Timmins (Rosen, Dries), Dries (Rosen), Alt
Shots: +26/-43
PP 0/4, PK 5/5 – 1 SHGF
Lineup:
Greer – Dries – Joly
Henry – Bowers – LOC
MacDonald – Dickinson – Condra
Nantel – Shvyrev – Campbell
Renouf – Alt
Lindholm – Rosen
Anderson – Timmins
Miska
McDonald
Scratch: Kaut (UBI), Barron (Face), Wagner
Hunter Miska stopped all 43 shots he faced as the Eagles totally goalied Bakersfield in this one. Coach Cronin basically said they were lucky in this one and he’s right. Timmy’s early goal got them going but they were hanging on for dear life for a lot of this game.
COL 2 – BAK 3
Goals: Timmins (Rosen, Henry), Dries (MacDonald, Condra)
Shots: +32/-22
PP 1/8, PK 3/5
Lineup:
Greer – Dries – Joly
Condra – Dickinson – Campbell
Henry – Nantel – O’Connor
Wagner – Shvyrev – Barron
Lindholm – Rosen
Renouf – Timmins
Anderson – MacDonald
Miska
McDonald
Scratch: Kaut (UBI), Bowers (?BI), Alt (?BI)
In contrast to game 1, where Timmins and Dries also scored to get the Eagles a 2-0 lead, this was the example of what happens when you don’t get lucky. Bako scored 3 goals, 2 on the PP, in the final 23 minutes then they sat back and got the win. The game-winner was really unfortunate as the Eagles took a penalty with a man in the box and the Condors capitalized.
Breaking Down: Week 8
Goals: +5/-3, at 5v5 it was +3/-1
Shots: +58/-65
Shooting percentage: 8.6
Save percentage: 95.4
PDO: 104.3
PP: 1/12
PK: 8/10, 1 SHGF
Your scoring stars of the week are Shedon Dries with 2G/1A, Calle Rosen with 3 assists and Conor Timmins with 2 goals
Overview
The Avs are perhaps the best team in the NHL at 5v5 and have atrocious special teams. The Eagles are following in big brother’s footsteps. They are +27/-25 at 5v5 and +13/-17 elsewhere.
Adjusted special teams percentage is a more exact way of looking at PP% and PK% because it adds in shorthanded goals for and against then adds them together. 100% is average and something Colorado has only been above for a short stretch early in the season.
This is significant because it’s not all that obvious that the Eagles are a good team 5v5. Since the opening 3 games, at 5v5 they’ve only been outscored twice, shutouts to San Jose and Ontario, and have outscored opponents 22-16. That’s sneaky good, a half-goal per game.
What is obvious is that special teams aren’t carrying their weight. The PK has been disappointing, only 19th after being top 5 or close to it for most of last season. A case can be made that personnel changes are the driving factor but with the Avs PK struggling as well it makes one wonder about the structure. The power play continues to be lousy with only 7 goals in 66 chances and a net +4. This should be a way to generate a few more wins over the season but it’s not going to happen. The Eagles will be at the quarter mark of the season after this weekend’s series so we’ve got an idea now of how the PP will project out. It’s probably going to be last in the AHL or close to it and end up with less than 20 net goals on the year. The most damning statistic out of all this is that 20% of the time Colorado ties or outscores opponents at 5v5 but loses anyway.
Next up
A pair of games in San Jose next weekend
Thanks to the AHL for stats and standings and to the Colorado Eagles for the feature photo.
