Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
Maybe this year is different.
Regular season success has become the standard for the Colorado Eagles, who have never missed the Calder Cup playoffs since joining the AHL in 2018-19. Once they got there, however, the playoffs brought considerable frustration.
Last year, they were eliminated with a 5-0 loss at home against Abbotsford in a winner-take-all game. Two years ago, they played three games at home against the Canucks in the first round but lost the series on an overtime goal in Game 3. Three years ago, it was another winner-take-all game, another 5-0 victory – this time in the Coachella Valley.
It always seems like a bad matchup or a hot opponent derails Colorado. In 2022, they were eliminated by Stockton three times in a four-game series. Dustin Wolf. Meanwhile, a Colorado Avalanche affiliate hasn’t reached the AHL division finals since Hershey’s back-to-back tourneys in 2000 and 2001.
Sure, rosters will change, but these Eagles have enough collective memory to learn from past setbacks. TJ Tynan, Jack Akan, Wyatt Aamot, Tye Fairhaber, Jacob McDonald and captain Jason Megna Colorado has a long list of players who have struggled in the past postseason. This time, they won seven of their first nine playoff games and ended series against San Diego (6-1) and Henderson (6-2) with blowouts. Trent Miner There have been 4 shutouts and only 1.18 goals scored.
Everything is ready to go further this run. Next up is a win over Coachella Valley in the Pacific Division final; the Eagles lead 2-1 in the best-of-five series heading into tonight’s Game 4 at the Blue Arena.
With the parent team Avalanche reaching the NHL Final Four, Eagles head coach Mark Lightstu Continue to suffer personnel attacks. Akan was in the lineup for the AV’s final two games of the series over Minnesota. rookie guard Alex Gagne This week has been spent going back and forth between Loveland and Denver; on Sunday, he practiced with the Avalanche in the morning and played with the Hawks in the evening.
Coupled with Megna being sidelined due to an injury at the end of the previous round, Letstu is relying on the club’s depth to help get the team to this point. they got captain michigan TJ Hughes Late in the regular season, the rookie forward has already scored three goals in the playoffs. second year professional Gavin Brindley Played 56 games in the NHL, but has brought extra offense to the Hawks since rejoining the team. Daniel GushingThe San Jose striker, a three-time 20-goal scorer, was in the starting lineup when called upon.
Letestu is not letting past disappointments lead him to the Eagles, where he arrived last July following his predecessor. Aaron Schnicklos Hired as an assistant by the Seattle Kraken. But Letestu does bring a wealth of experience, both as a player and on the bench. His 13 professional seasons included 567 NHL games and a Calder Cup Final appearance with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2008. As an assistant coach in Cleveland, he scored overtime in Game 7 of the 2024 conference finals.
When he came to Colorado, he knew exactly what the group had been through before. For one, he’s committed to shaping this team for the Calder Cup playoffs, not gaudy regular-season numbers. exactly this method Todd Nelson There was considerable success in Grand Rapids and Hershey: building a playoff-style team rather than just trying to pile up regular-season wins through sheer talent. It paid off, as the Hawks ranked seventh in the AHL in goals per game (2.75) and eighth in shots per game (26.8) en route to a 41-20-6-5 record.
“What wins you in October,” Letestu said earlier this season, “doesn’t get you winning in February, and doesn’t get you winning in June.”
He feels the sting of past spring setbacks still haunts his players. If a team is nowhere close to winning the Calder Cup, six months of regular season success can feel pretty hollow. The history is there, but there’s also a chance this year to leave it behind.
“There are certainly expectations, especially given some of the shortcomings in the recent playoffs,” Letestu said. “I have a lot of guys that are very focused on winning and figuring out what’s been going on the past few years.”
About two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. In 2016, he received the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league.
