Pacific Division Finals Set: Eagles vs. Firebirds
By Carlynn Claypool, Taylor Kittle and Christian Moreno
May 11, 2026
The two Pacific Division Semifinal winners will meet in the Pacific Division Finals, with the Colorado Eagles finishing second in the division during the regular season, while the Coachella Valley Firebirds finished in fourth.
The Eagles enter the series after winning five of their first six playoff games, while boasting one of the league's best defensive performances and maintaining a system that makes it difficult for teams to cross the neutral zone.
The Eagles have allowed only seven goals all postseason, a testament to both their defensive discipline and the dominance of goaltender Trent Miner, who has emerged as the best goaltender in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
This postseason, Miner has a 1.10 goals‑against average, .953 save percentage and three shutouts. His performance has helped Colorado maintain an unblemished home record of four wins throughout the first two rounds.
“Trent’s competing his butt off, and from the crease out, you can drive a team,” said Eagles head coach Mark Letestu. “He's driving it with how he competes. That save he makes in the first period, it's a series saver, a game saver. And I think that just energizes the group, gives them confidence because he's going to do everything in his power to keep the puck out of the net.”
Both teams' playoff paths have looked different with Colorado sweeping the San Diego Gulls in the first round before defeating the Henderson Silver Knights in four games.
Unlike the Eagles, the Firebirds have had to battle through full series in each round, advancing in three games against the Bakersfield Condors and five against the Ontario Reign.
Coachella Valley comes into the Third Round battle-tested, while Colorado has been more dominant, allowing the team to have more rest throughout the playoffs.
“Getting this done early gives us a couple days to kind of get some guys that are a little banged up a day or two of rest,” said Eagles head coach Mark Letestu.
Miner has been a big part of Colorado’s success and his confidence in net throughout the last two series has helped drive the team to a higher level of competitiveness, according to Letestu.
By making big saves when he needs to, the rest of the team has been able to stay aggressive defensively and trust the structure in front of Miner.
“There's been a lot of different contributions, and I think that's what you need to win,” Letestu said. “We've gotten goals from a lot of different lines, and I think we're getting contributions from everything. If I had to put my finger on one thing, it's the group's willingness to defend right now.”
In front of Miner, the team has seen point production from 17 different players, 15 of whom have scored at least one goal, showing the depth of Colorado’s roster. The Eagles’ defense has also helped Miner by limiting opponents to an average of 24.6 shots on goal per game.
Coachella Valley has shown they can push a series to the limit, though, fighting to the end. They finished their series against the Reign with a win in the second overtime of a do-or-die Game Five.
Firebirds netminder Nikke Kokko saved 34 of 36 shots, and the team’s playoff-leading scorer, forward Oscar Fisker Mølgaard, scored in the win to bring his league-leading goal total to six.
During the regular season, forward Lleyton Roed was a dominant force against the Eagles as he posted ten points against them. His playmaking ability was impactful, having put up nine assists in seven meetings with Colorado.
Fisker Mølgaard and defenseman Ty Nelson were strong as they posted six points each in the regular season against Colorado, showing the depth the Eagles will have to deal with in this Division's Championship round.
Fisker Mølgaard’s performance this postseason has been dominant as he leads the team with 10 points and has been the biggest contributor to the Firebirds offense so far this postseason.
Forward Jani Nyman has also continued his success into the postseason, recording eight points on three goals and five assists, ranking third in playoff scoring through eight games.
As Colorado prepares to face off against the Firebirds, their defense will be tested by Coachella Valley’s strong offense.
Until the puck drops between the two teams on May 13th at 8 p.m. MT in Coachella Valley, the defensively sound Eagles will prepare to battle a team that has consistently found ways to survive high-pressure moments.
After Games One and Two on the road, Colorado will return to Blue Arena for game three on May 17th at 6:05 p.m. MT followed by games Four and Five, if necessary. Tickets for all third-round games are on sale now. For more information, visit ColoradoEagles.com or call or text (970) 686-SHOT (7468).
