The best thing I can say about tonight's game is that it's good that it didn't take place last night. In a mostly forgettable performance by the boys from North Richland Hills, special teams took center stage as the Colorado Eagles defeated the Brahmas by a score of 5-2.
As Dan Wildfong said the previous night, there's some things the Brahmas now know they have to work on and will do this week in preparation for a two-game series against the Mississippi RiverKings.
For the Eagles, they knew what they needed to do and they executed well.
“Guys went the extra mile tonight,” head coach Kevin McClelland told the Reporter-Herald. “We competed right off the bat, and we played well defensively. They knew we let a point slip away last night in our building.”
Without the fanfare of last night's banner ceremony and the retirement of Greg Pankiewiczs' number, the game began on time and terribly for the Brahmas with most of the action in their zone. Colorado's special teams managed two scores; a power play goal and a short-handed goal and the Brahmas were out shot 12-4 in the first period.
Taking advantage of a power play courtesy of a tripping call on Mark Rooneem, Riley Nelson sent a pass from the boards to Kevin Ulanski, who was stationed just outside the crease where Brett Jaeger was waiting. Unable to find a hole, Ulanski sent the puck along the crease to a waiting Ryan Tobler who was able to beat Jaeger's reaction time to take the 1-0 lead at the 6:29 mark.
Note: The Eagles were 36-3 when scoring the first goal last season.
The Brahmas got their first power play at 13:38 mark after a hooking call on Riley Nelson. But just eight seconds later, the Eagles penalty-killers netted the team's first shorthanded goal of the season on a blitzkrieg when Ryan McLeod won a face off in the left circle of his own end and Ed McGrane stormed up the ice with the puck. McLeod caught up and the two converted the rush when the rookie Eagle put home his own rebound just under the out-stretched legs of Jaeger. It was 2-0 at the 13:46 mark.
There was no scoring in a middle frame I found less interesting than the Angels/Yankees game, which got more of my attention on the second screen. Colorado thug Alex Penner tried to start a fight with Anders Strome but Strome appeared to explain to Penner that he was there to play hockey, not brawl. With a shot count of 9-8 to finish the middle frame, the Eagles had a 21-12 shot advantage after 40 minutes.
The Eagles scored in the first 21 seconds of the third period to take the 3-0 lead when Ryan McLeod tallied his second goal of the night by smacking home a loose puck at the left side of the net with Jaeger looking in the other direction. Ed McGrane and Jim Jackson were in on the assist.
At the 9:16 mark, an altercation between Eagles defenseman Felipe Larranaga and Jason Deitsch resulted in a 10 minute Attempt to Injure Match penalty on Deitsch. Larranaga, who wears a cage on his helmet, was jawing with Deitsch behind the Brahmas net after play stopped. Deitsch proceeded to grab the cage and shake Larranaga's head pretty violently, which resulted in the call.
What followed was a back-and-forth special teams scoring frenzy that provided the best entertainment of the game.
On the penalty kill, Kevin McLeod got a short-handed unassisted goal by snapping a shot high past the glove hand of Penner from atop the left circle. At the 10:47 mark, it was a 3-1 game.
Riley Nelson answered right back 18 seconds later with a power play blast from the high slot, giving him his 500th career point in his career with the Eagles. Just under a minute and a half later, AJ Gale cut the Colorado lead in half with another short-handed goal with an assist from Tyler Skworchinski.
The Eagles managed to hold off any further Brahmas attack and with just over a minute left in the game, Dan Wildfong pulled Jaeger in favor of the extra attacker but to no avail and the Eagles' Steve Haddon, assisted by Ryan Tobler and Jason Lundmark, tallied an empty net goal at the 19:38 mark to seal the win.
Andrew Penner found his game and made 17 saves on 19 shots for his first win of the season. Brett Jaeger took his first loss with 22 saves.
The Brahmas went 0 for 3 on their power play opportunities. The Eagles capitalized on 2 of 9.
Texas was assessed 24 minutes on eight infractions. The Eagles were assessed eight minutes on four infractions. 'Nuff said.
The 3rd Star of the game went to Ed McGrane, who had two assists on the night. The 2nd Star was awarded to Ryan McLeod with two goals and the 1st Star went to Riley Nelson with a goal and an assist.
Observations:
- Two shorthanded goals and three in two games is a good number for the Brahmas penalty killers. One goal in 10 on power-plays, not so good.
- This was a real special teams series. Of the 12 goals scored in the two-game set, eight came via special teams (four on the power play, four short handed).
- Time on the ice this week should definitely help get guys on the same page.
- On-ice officials did a great job this weekend. The multiple replays on the CHL-TV broadcast backed up every call.
Photo Credit: Steve Stoner/Reporter-Herald
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