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Gm 59: Miner, Olofsson Help Eagles Breakthrough Against Ads

Originally posted on The Avs Report | By C.C. Hawkley | Last updated Mar 20, 2024 2:50 PM ET

After a two-game set against Calgary this past Friday and Saturday, the Colorado Eagles had a quick turnaround, hosting the Milwaukee Admirals on Tuesday night. The Ads started 2024 on a 19-game win streak before slumping through late February into March (2-8-0 since Feb. 25). Milwaukee did emerge with a victory on Saturday night, a 3-2 win against San Diego. That in mind, which team would be willing to push things to a two-game win streak?

FIRST PERIOD

Implementing the same strategy from Saturday night’s game, the Eagles brought the pressure on fast and heavy in the first half of period one. The first score came after Milwaukee tried to advance the puck out of its end and into the neutral zone. A Colorado skater pinned their opponent against the boards, leaving it open for forward Fredrik Olofsson to swipe up the puck. Olofsson sped in along the left wing uncontested before firing a wrist shot past Ads netminder Troy Grosenick . Olofsson’s tally put the Eagles up 1-0 at 6:12 of the first.

Colorado also drew the first power play of the night off a Zach L’Heureux high sticking call at 16:40. The Eagles lost the faceoff in the Admirals zone, leading to a quick shorthanded chance from Milwaukee. After regrouping back in the Ads’ end, Colorado began setting up the attack. After cycling the puck for a bit, Eagles forward Ivan Ivan received a pass on the doorstep and backhanded a shot into Grosenick’s pads. The puck dribbled over to Riley Tufte on the right wing, who slammed home a snap shot at 17:34. The power play goal was Colorado’s first in 11 games, previously going 0-for-27 before Tufte’s tally.

SECOND PERIOD

Carrying a 2-0 lead into the next period, the Eagles began to get outworked on the shot sheet. In spite of Milwaukee peppering Colorado goaltender Trent Miner with scoring attempts, Miner and the Eagles stepped up mightily. After collecting a rebound off a Miner save, Olofsson advanced the puck and passed it up to foward Jean-Luc Foudy , pushing into the offensive zone. Foudy curled back, tapping the puck over to defenseman Sam Malinski for a one-timer. The blast from the point made it through traffic and into the net, giving Colorado a commanding 3-0 lead at 8:00 even.

With time winding down in the second, the Eagles were biting hard in the Admirals zone. Wanting to add to the three-goal lead, Colorado d-man Wyatt Aamodt shot a puck that bounced off a Milwaukee’s Jake Livingstone. Forward Cal O’Reilly coralled the puck, scooting it up to a speedy Phil Tomasino. Tomasino jetted ahead on the breakaway, tucking a shot five-hole on Miner to cut the Eagles lead to two. The costly Colorado mistake made it 3-1 at 19:31 of the middle regulation frame.

THIRD PERIOD

After putting up 18 shots on Miner in the second period, the Admirals only mustered 10 in the final regulation frame. That paled in comparison to just four shots on goal from the Eagles, with quality definitely taking precedence over quantity. The only goal of the third came from Olofsson after a textbook exchange from defenseman Jack Ahcan in the slot to forward Tanner Kero down low. Olofsson positioned himself down low in the crease to drive home another goal at 10:28 of period number three.

The 4-1 lead stood until the final regulation horn sounded. Miner finished with 40 saves on 41 shots, while Olofsson finished with a three-point night (2G+1A). The Eagles now sit just one point back of Tucson in the Pacific Division, residing in third place with 74 points.