Win Streak Reaches Five, as Eagles Top Milwaukee, 4-3
Jan 15, 2022
LOVELAND, CO. – Eagles forward Jayson Megna netted a power-play goal in regulation and scored the game-winner in a shootout, as Colorado defeated the Milwaukee Admirals, 4-3 on Saturday. Goaltender Justus Annunen made 41 saves on 44 shots to earn his fifth consecutive win in net. The victory also extends the Eagles win streak to a season-best five games. Defenseman Jordan Gross also left his mark on the game, registering three assists for the second straight contest.
Colorado would net the game’s first goal when forward Sampo Ranta wrapped behind the net and batted a shot from the top of the crease over the shoulder of Milwaukee goaltender Devin Cooley. The goal was Ranta’s fourth of the season and gave the Eagles a 1-0 edge at the 11:10 mark of the first period.
An Admirals power play late in the opening frame would see forward Rocco Grimaldi light the lamp with a wrister from the right-wing circle to tie the game at 1-1 with 2:51 remaining in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Still deadlocked at 1-1 as the two teams hit the ice for the second period, Colorado would jump back in the driver’s seat when forward Shane Bowers unleashed a shot on the rush that would deflect off a stick and into the back of the net to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage at the 5:54 mark of the middle frame.
The lead would grow when a 5-on-3 power play set up Megna to blister a one-timer from the left-wing circle that would beat Cooley and put Colorado on top, 3-1 with 7:38 left to play in the second period.
Milwaukee would catch the Eagles in a change and forward Grant Mismash would make the most of it with a slapshot from the top of the left-wing circle that would elude Annunen and trim the Eagles advantage to 3-2 at the 17:04 mark of the second stanza.
Still in possession of a 3-2 lead as the puck dropped on the third period, Colorado would have to go on a lengthy penalty kill when forward Dalton Smith was booked for a five-minute boarding major at the 6:27 mark. The Eagles killed off the initial 4:49 of the penalty but would finally surrender a goal to forward Cole Schneider who blitzed a shot from the bottom of the left-wing circle into the back of the net. The tally tied the game at 3-3 with 8:42 left in the contest.\
With the game still square at 3-3 after 60 minutes, the contest transitioned to sudden-death overtime. Colorado would outshoot the Admirals 5-4 in the extra session, but neither team would be able to find the back of the net.
In the subsequent shootout, Annunen would shut down three of the four Milwaukee shooters, while Gross and Megna each lit the lamp to give the Eagles the 4-3 victory. Colorado was outshot in the contest 44-39, as the Eagles went 1-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-6 on the penalty kill.
The Eagles will be back in action when they take on the Iowa Wild on Friday, January 21st at 7:05 pm MT at the Budweiser Events Center. Tickets for all regular-season games are on sale now and start at just $19. 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.
