Wild Rally to Defeat Colorado, 3-2 in a Shootout
Dec 1, 2018
LOVELAND, CO. – Iowa forward Dmitry Sokolov netted the game-tying goal with just 5:09 remaining in regulation, as the Wild rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Colorado Eagles in a shootout, 3-2 on Saturday. Both clubs flexed their muscle on the penalty kill, with Colorado going 5-for-5 and the Wild finishing at a perfect 7-for-7. Iowa also slammed the door on two 5-on-3 power play opportunities for the Eagles in the second period. By virtue of moving past regulation, Colorado has now posted at least one point in the standings in each of their last five contests.
The Eagles hopped out to a 1-0 lead when Igor Shvyrev dished a pass from the slot to the right circle, where fellow forward Ty Lewis would sweep the puck into the back of the net to give Colorado the one-goal edge at the 8:07 mark of the first period.
Less than three minutes later, and with the Eagles on the penalty kill, Colorado would stretch its lead when forward A.J. Greer forced a turnover in the neutral zone and raced down the ice before beating Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to give the Eagles a 2-0 advantage with 8:32 left in the first frame.
Iowa would chip in to the deficit in the second period when forward Luke Kunin got behind Colorado’s defense at the blue line and drove his way through the low-slot where he would lift a shot past Eagles goalie Pavel Francouz. The tally would trim Colorado’s lead to 2-1 at the 9:45 mark of the second stanza.
The Eagles would carry their 2-1 advantage into the third period, but with just 5:09 remaining in regulation Sokolov would carry the puck up the right-wing boards before spinning and firing a shot from the wall that would light the lamp and tie the game at 2-2.
The two teams would head to overtime for a second-consecutive night, but despite a flurry of chances, including a 4-on-3 power play for Iowa, neither team would net a goal and the game would head to a shootout.
In the shootout Kahkonen would deny all four Eagles shooters, while only Iowa forward Justin Kloos would beat Francouz. However, the tally would be enough to give the Wild the 3-2 victory.
Colorado returns to action when the Eagles play host to the San Diego Gulls on Friday, December 7th at 7:05pm at the Budweiser Events Center.
Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season are on-sale now and start at just $18 per seat. Purchase your seats today by visiting the Budweiser Events Center box office, online at ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the Eagles ticketing department at 970-686-SHOT (7468).
