Eagles Roar Back to Topple San Jose 4-3 in OT
Apr 7, 2023
SAN JOSE, CA. – Eagles defenseman Sam Malinski scored the game-tying goal early in the third period, while fellow forward Mikhail Maltsev netted the game-winner in overtime, as the Eagles rallied back to defeat the San Jose Barracuda 4-3 on Friday. The win also locked up home-ice advantage for Colorado in the first round of the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs. Defenseman Mitchell Vande Sompel notched a goal and an assist in the winning effort, while defenseman Wyatt Aamodt also found the back of the net. Forward Alex Galchenyuk collected a pair of assists for the Eagles. Keith Kinkaid earned the win in net, making 22 saves on 25 shots.
Colorado would jump out to an early 1-0 lead when Aamodt belted home a rebound in the low slot, just 1:15 into the contest. The goal was Aamodt’s third of the season and came in his first game back since suffering an injury on March 18th.
A San Jose power play would lead to an equalizer when defenseman Derrick Pouliot buried a wrister from the top of the left-wing circle to tie the game 1-1 at the 9:17 mark of the first period.
The Eagles would jump back in the driver’s seat when Vande Sompel lit the lamp with a wrister from between the circles, giving Colorado a 2-1 advantage with only 2:02 remaining in the opening frame. Kinkaid would close out the period by shutting down San Jose forward Kyle Criscuolo’s breakaway in the final seconds.
The Barracuda would level the score for a second time when a misplayed puck behind the net allowed forward Nathan Burke to bash it home from the side of the crease, tying the game 2-2 at the 13:44 mark of the second period.
San Jose would then grab its first lead of the night just 3:33 later, as defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin launched a wrister from the point that would weave its way through traffic and into the back of the net, putting the Barracuda on top, 3-2.
Still trailing 3-2 as the puck dropped on the third period, Colorado would knot things up when Malinski fired a shot from the blue line that would deflect off a set of skates and slide past Barracuda goalie Aaron Dell. The goal was Malinski’s second in his first four professional season and tied the game 3-3 at the 5:41 mark of the final frame.
Still deadlocked as the final horn sounded, the two teams would shift to a sudden-death overtime. The Eagles would create a turnover in their own zone, sending Maltsev and Galchenyuk on a 2-on-1 rush down the ice. Galchenyuk would flip a cross-slot pass onto the tape of Maltsev who roofed the puck into the back of the net and gave Colorado the 4-3 win just 51 seconds into overtime.
Dell suffered the overtime loss, allowing four goals on 39 shots. The Eagles finished the night 0-for-1 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the San Jose Barracuda on Saturday, April 8th at 7:00pm MT at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California. Tickets for all regular season games are on sale now and start at just $21. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme tickets, and promotional nights, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
