Finally getting healthy, the Colorado Eagles are trending upward as the playoffs approach

The Colorado Eagles have nearly completed their regular season. At 51 games played of 68, there are several things to examine in their final quarter before an expected playoff push.

After back-to-back Kelly Cup championships in the ECHL, the Eagles were promoted to the AHL for the 2018-19 season and have made the playoffs ever since with a first and second round exit respectively – plus a COVID-canceled post-season sprinkled in.

There isn’t an expansive body of work to evaluate at an AHL level. The American Hockey League is made up of constantly expanding, changing teams operating alongside teams like the Hersey Bears who have existed since 1938 and the Abbotsford Canucks who are playing in their inaugural season right now. For the Colorado Eagles, their history is being written in real time.

And so far, it’s been a privilege to bring coverage to a team that is so new and so untested. Though there is still plenty of season left and a postseason opportunity, this ¾ marker presents a relevant time to reflect on the season at hand.

Defensive Core

It’s not a misspelling. The Eagles d-corps has been rooted at the center of this group making important contributions at both ends of the ice. In his own words, head coach Greg Cronin has described them as the “backbone of the team.”

“We knew going into the season that we had some good veterans. Jordan Gross has been beyond expectation. He’s been offensively reliable, he’s great on the power play. They have different identities. It’s a good balance and a good blend,” explained Cronin.

Gross is 17th in the league in points and leads all defensemen. He’s on pace to more than double his highest season points total making for an impressive career high. Unsurprisingly Gross is utilized on the first powerplay unit, but one revelation has been Justin Barron’s looks on PP2.

“[He’s] is a young kid getting his groove in as a rookie. He’s not really an offensive guy, but he’s contributing more than we expected [and] earning a second powerplay,” said Cronin who has also described Barron as reliable defensively. 

Barron has 19 points in 39 games (only 3 have been on the powerplay) revealing a type of 5v5 production that has surpassed my expectation for the 20 year old.

Due to unfortunate injuries in co-captains, Jayson Megna and Jacob MacDonald, leadership has had to come from many places. At points, defensemen Dennis Gilbert, Roland McKeown, and Keaton Middleton have all worn letters. Now consider a healthy Jacob MacDonald as a further extension of the d-corps’ reach, and you can begin to have an idea of their value.

Furthermore, even without a letter, Jordan Gross continuously engages in what appears to be, truly, diplomatic conversations with officials during moments of conflict within a game. He’s a tactful politic on the ice.

Another pleasant surprise is the all around balance in Dennis Gilbert’s game – he’s one of the most complete players at either end and regularly in the top pairing alongside Gross.

To look at the scoresheet of any given game, production is coming from the usual places like 9th-in-the-league-in-points Dylan Sikura and his top line; but, often a splash of offense comes from the d-corps (Gilbert, Englund, Middleton, and beyond) with the defense contributing to 32% of the team’s points.

Looking Ahead

Just 18 games remain. At this point in the season, “they know what we have to do,” Cronin explained. “We’re at a point in the season where we know who we are as a group and how we have to play. If you don’t compete hard, you’re not giving yourself a chance to win.”

The Eagles are 5 points behind the Stockton Heat who are first in the Pacific Division. The playoff format will allow 23 teams a chance with the bottom two of each division getting eliminated. They have the fewest remaining games of any team, but the Eagles are in a comfortable position sitting at fourth in the division currently. Bottom-tier teams Tucson and San Jose are not officially out but a lot of things will have to happen to make a playoff spot possible.

What will prove extremely challenging will be the first-round match-ups consisting of several best-of-three series.

If the season ended right now, the Eagles would face expansion team the Abbotsford Canucks first. They’re 1-1 in this season so far with an away series coming up next weekend that will be a very interesting preview to keep an eye on.

Before the Eagles can even make the Conference Finals – they will have two phases of best-of-five matchups within the division. The Eagles are 0-3 on the road against division foes, Bakersfield and Stockton – two likely contenders down the line. To say it will be difficult is an understatement.

The Captain Returns

After missing almost the entire month of February due to a lingering upper-body issue that cropped up in December, Eagles captain Jayson Megna returned to the lineup on February 26th.

Though not a serious injury, the Eagles have adopted a similar approach to injuries as the parent organization, the Colorado Avalanche. Megna explained that the decision to stay out was a choice made in conjunction with medical staff out of an abundance of caution and with a deep playoff run in mind.

Co-captain Jacob MacDonald also returned to the lineup on February 26th after that scary hit in December during the Avs-Panthers game. MacDonald’s return was joined by Stefan Matteau who played his first game of the year after a high-ankle injury at the start of the season. Gabriel Fontaine played in his first game in a little over a month on March 4th, so a once-thinning Eagles roster is finally beginning to get healthy.

“We got a lot of new guys coming into the lineup who have been injured this year, so it’s nice that we’re getting healthy,” said Megna. “We just gotta build chemistry. I think the team is very, very strong straight from the goalie out, to the forwards, [and] we have some very capable d-men. We’re going to be a dangerous team down the stretch.”

The attitude in the locker room has been building around the postseason.

[The playoff mindset] is something we talk about every day. It’s the details that we hammer in the video and on the ice in practice,” revealed Megna. “We have a strong belief in the locker room that we’re a really good team. [When] we play a full 60 minutes – the right way – we’re tough to beat every night.”

Talking about his brief absence from the lineup, Megna discussed the importance of leadership coming from every member of the team to point them in the right direction.

“We have a bunch of good, quality guys in there that are leaders as well who aren’t wearing letters,” he explained.

When asked about one of the best surprises to him so far this season, Megna excitedly extolled praises for the team’s goaltending.

“It’s easy to say, but the way Justus Annunen has played,” he answered. “The way that he’s stepped up and taken over the role. We’ve played him a ton of nights. He seems to save us a lot of the time. We can always count on him. He’s been a rock back there for us. And Hunter Miska, both our goalies, have played incredible this year [and] you don’t win games without them.”

Goaltending will be a difference-maker in the end. We saw the difference it made in a recent demoralizing 5-2 loss wherein a hot San Diego goaltender, Lukas Dostal, stopped 53 shots.

The team regrouped. There were smiles at morning skate ahead of their second game in the recent three-game series, and the Eagles found a way back to winning with a seven-goal game. They would win the next night too taking the series 2-1.

As the regular season comes to a close, there is a lot for the Eagles to work for and towards. They’re 9th in the league in wins at home. I’ve only watched away games from television, but the difference in the atmosphere of Budweiser Events Center compared to other arenas is visceral. Shane Bowers and Dylan Sikura have said it’s the best place to play in the league.

There are some losses that just feel bad, but I don’t think a lack of pride has been an issue with this Colorado Eagles team.

“It’s an honor to be the captain [here]. It’s got some really good history and a lot of really good people in the organization. I appreciate coming to the rink every day and trying to help guys out any way that I can and trying to help this team win games,” said Megna. “I take it very seriously. It’s a great honor. It’s something that I’m happy to do, and I hope that we can all come together and push this thing far in the playoffs.”