Colorado Scores Four Unanswered to Claim 6-2 Win at Rockford
Mar 17, 2023
ROCKFORD, IL. – Colorado forward Spencer Smallman notched two goals and an assist, while fellow forwards Alex Beaucage and Gustav Rydahl each collected one goal and one assist, as the Eagles defeated the Rockford IceHogs 6-2 on Friday. Forwards Charles Hudon and Mikhail Maltsev also lit the lamp, as goaltender Keith Kinkaid earned his first win in an Eagles sweater, making 27 saves on 29 shots.
Rockford would jump out to an early lead when forward Michal Teply tracked down a rebound in the crease and stuffed it home to give the IceHogs a 1-0 edge just 4:03 into the contest.
Colorado would answer back when Hudon weaved his way through the slot before cutting to the side of the crease and feeding a backhander into the back of the net. The goal was Hudon’s team-leading 21st of the season and tied the game at 1-1 with 7:36 remaining in the first period.
The Eagles would then jump into the driver’s seat just 3:45 later when Rydahl snapped a wrister from the left-wing circle on the rush, lighting the lamp and giving Colorado a 2-1 advantage, which the Eagles would carry into the first intermission.
An early power play would get Rockford back on the scoreboard, as forward Brett Seney belted home a one-timer from the right-wing circle to tie the contest at 2-2 just 4:20 into the middle frame.
Maltsev would answer back just 39 seconds later when he stationed himself between the circles and redirected a shot from the point past IceHogs’ goalie Jaxson Stauber, giving Colorado a 3-2 lead. The Eagles would be outshot 10-7 in the period but would head to the second intermission still on top, 3-2.
Beaucage would light the lamp just 1:11 into the third period when he sent a shot off Stauber, sending the puck into the air before bouncing off the top of the net, onto the back of Stauber and eventually landing in the back of the net. The goal was Beaucage’s seventh of the season and gave Colorado a 4-2 advantage.
Smallman would pick up his first goal of the evening when he fielded a pass in the slot from Oskar Olausson and snapped it home, stretching the Eagles lead to 5-2 at the 9:19 mark of the third period.
The scoring would be capped off when Smallman grabbed a cross-slot pass from Rydahl and lit the lamp from the right-wing circle to put Colorado up 6-2 with 7:25 remaining in the contest.
The Eagles outshot Rockford by a final count of 34-29, as Colorado finished the night 0-for-2 on the power play and 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Rockford IceHogs on Saturday, March 18th at 6:00pm MT at BMO Center in Rockford, Illinois. 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.
