Colorado Opens Road Trip with 4-2 Win over Wild
Dec 28, 2023
DES MOINES, IA. – Four different Colorado skaters found the back of the net, while goaltender Justus Annunen made 17 saves on 19 shots, as the Eagles kicked off a four-game road trip with a 4-2 win over the Iowa Wild on Thursday. Iowa forward Caedan Bankier scored both of Iowa’s goals in the losing effort. Colorado outshot the Wild 36-19, as the Eagles improved to 6-1-1 in their last eight road games.
Colorado would kill off an early power play opportunity for the Wild, setting up the Eagles to lay claim to the game’s first goal. A shot from the point would allow forward Riley Tufte to stuff home a rebound at top of the crease, giving Colorado a 1-0 edge at the 8:25 mark of the first period.
Iowa would find an answer just 3:31 later when Bankier camped out on top of the crease and deflected a shot from the blue line into the back of the net, tying the game at 1-1.
The Wild would earn a second chance on the man-advantage and Bankier would take advantage when he buried a one-timer from the right-wing circle to give Iowa a 2-1 lead with 3:45 remaining in the opening frame.
Still trailing 2-1 as the puck dropped on the second period, the Eagles would even things up while on the penalty kill. A shorthanded breakaway sent forward Ondrej Pavel darting down the ice, but defenseman Daemon Hunt would haul him down from behind, setting up Colorado’s first penalty shot attempt of the season.
On the ensuing attempt, Pavel fired a wrister from between the circles that would catch a piece of Wild goalie Zane McIntyre and spilled into the back of the net. The goal was Pavel’s third of the season and tied the game 2-2 at the 5:32 mark of the middle frame.
Colorado would go on to outshoot Iowa 13-7 in the period and the two teams headed to the second intermission with the contest still deadlocked at 2-2.
Forward Cal Burke would put the Eagles back in the lead when he banked a pass at the side of the crease past McIntyre, giving Colorado a 3-2 advantage at the 10:54 mark of the third period.
The Eagles would add a little breathing room when forward Ivan Ivan lit the lamp with a wrister from the left-wing circle, pushing Colorado’s lead to 4-2 with 3:44 remaining in the contest.
Iowa converted on one of its four opportunities on the power play, while the Eagles finished the night 0-for-3 on the man-advantage.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Iowa Wild on Saturday, December 30th at 5:00pm MT at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Tickets for all regular season games are on sale now and start at just $23. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme nights, and promotional offers, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
