Colorado Claims 1-0 Series Lead with 5-2 Win over Henderson
May 4, 2022
WINDSOR, CO. – Five different Colorado skaters earned multi-point performances, including a two-goal night from forward Jayson Megna, as the Eagles defeated the Henderson Silver Knights, 5-2 on Wednesday. Goaltender Justus Annunen made 22 saves on 24 shots to earn the victory in net, as Colorado now owns a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three, first-round series of the 2022 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Eagles would open up the scoring just 31 seconds into the contest when Megna tipped a puck at the top of the crease, sending it past Henderson goalie Jiri Patera to give Colorado a 1-0 edge.
A Silver Knights power play would backfire when a shorthanded rush down the ice saw Mikhail Maltsev center the puck to the low slot, where Megna would slip it into the back of the net to stretch the Eagles lead to 2-0 at the 16:55 mark of the first period.
Still on top, 2-0 as the puck dropped on the middle frame, Colorado would go on to outshoot Henderson, 18-8 in the second period. However, neither goaltender would budge, and the two teams would head to the second intermission with the Eagles still leading, 2-0.
The Silver Knights would cut into the deficit just 3:02 into the third period when forward Paul Cotter fired a shot from the high slot that would deflect off Annunen and roll into the back of the net to trim Colorado’s advantage to 2-1.
The Eagles would generate an answer 2:00 later when forward Jean-Luc Foudy buried a one-timer from the right-wing circle to put Colorado up, 3-1.
A breakaway from the Eagles blue line for forward Sven Baertschi would see the Henderson winger lift a shot past Annunen to cut Colorado’s lead to 3-2 with 11:39 still left to play in the contest.
The Silver Knights would pull Patera in the final 2:30 of the period, but it would be the Eagles who would take advantage, with Maltsev and fellow forward Kiefer Sherwood each collecting empty-netters to round out the 5-2 victory.
Colorado outshot Henderson 38-24, as the Eagles went 0-for-3 on the power play and 6-for-6 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they continue the 2022 AHL Calder Cup Playoffs with Game Two of their best-of-three, first-round series against the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday, May 6th at 7:05 pm at the Budweiser Events Center. You can find more information on playoff ticket packages by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
