Eagles Hang On For 6-5 Win Vs. Blazers

LOVELAND, Colo. - Marco Emond, making his first start of season, stopped 39 of 44 shots to help the Eagles overcome the Blazers, 6-5. In their first visit to the Budweiser Events Center since last season's conference semi-finals, the Blazers out-shot Colorado 44-30, but the Eagles won their first game of the season when being out-shot to maintain second place in the division.

Riley Nelson started the scoring with a power play goal at 1:59. Stationed in front of the crease, Nelson chipped home his own rebound. Assists on the play went to Paul Esdale (his 100th point in the CHL) and Greg Pankewicz. The Blazers answered with a power play tally of their own at 6:15 with just eight seconds remaining on a Pankewicz penalty; the Eagles had previously killed 1:23 of 5-on-3. Gordon Bell got the goal as his shot snuck through Emond's 5-hole. Colorado went back on top a minute and a half later when Jay Birnie's shot sailed wide of the net, but banked at a 45 degree angle behind the goal to Dave Iannazzo on the opposite side. Iannazzo deposited the puck into the empty net for his first goal as an Eagle. At 11:37, the Eagles got even thinner at forward when Pankewicz received a game misconduct (aggravator) during his fight with Michael Kaye. That left the Eagles with seven forwards (Les Borsheim left the game just minutes in) -- six of which are true forwards (Birnie's true position is defense).

Borsheim was back on the ice for the second period, as the teams traded leads throughout the middle frame. Garrett Prosofsky tied the game at two at 4:45 when he chipped his own rebound past Emond. The Blazers had near-continuous pressure in the Eagles' zone for most of the period leading up to the goal. Only eight seconds later, DJ Jelitto's shot from the left wing circle sailed over Emond's right shoulder (Marty Standish, Bell), giving the Blazers their first lead of the game. But Colorado answered at 9:50 when Scott Polaski scored on a two-on-one break from Seth Leonard and Birnie. The Eagles then went ahead 4-3 at 17:15 when Ed McGrane scored from the left wing circle on a drop-pass from Leonard. His second assist of the period gave Leonard 10 points in the last four games and two periods (4-6-10).

Just into the third, McGrane was hauled down on a short-handed breakaway and awarded a penalty shot against Jason Wolfe. McGrane's forehand-backhand floater was stopped by Wolfe, but the Eagles went ahead by two at 8:23 when Polaski and Birnie took advantage of another two-on-one -- Polaski going top shelf. Seventeen seconds later, after a turnover in the Oklahoma City corner, Nelson hit a bouncing Iannazzo rebound past Wolfe (Leonard got the second assist). The Blazers battled back, trimming the lead to 6-4 and then 6-5 on goals from Mike Burgoyne and Prosofsky, but the Eagles held on for the final two minutes to strengthen their lead over the Blazers in the Northwest division.