It was a much more exciting Western Conference Finals for the hockey team from up north, unfortunately the series ended in the same result. The Colorado Avalanche AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles made it to a Game 7 before falling 4-3 in a heartbreaking loss and series final.
The Eagles were minutes away from a Calder Cup finals bid as they held a lead late in Game 6 but Chicago took the game in regulation and then beat the Eagles on their home ice the next night to secure the series win.
Game 5 in Chicago
was the highlight of the series when Colorado took advantage putting up seven goals on the way to an 7-3 victory even after starting the game in a two goal deficit. Relive the highlights below!
Contributions on this Eagles team postseason run the gamut, probably why they had a good amount of success. Tristen Nielsen currently shares the AHL lead in playoff points with 17. Two younger Eagles really made an impression as Ivan Ivan finished with 15 points and the newly signed Avalanche prospect TJ Hughes with 14 points.
What was incredible about Ivan’s production is he amassed it without the benefit of a single power play point and easily had the highest number of even strength points in the AHL postseason. He also currently leads the league with a +14 rating and only took one minor penalty in 17 games played. Was this enough to grab the organization’s attention and give Ivan another opportunity with the big club? The 23-year-old needs a new contract first and then we shall see.
Other notable performances were five goals and five assists from Chase Bradley, who got hot at the right time after modest regular season production. Jason Polin was an impact player with nine points and Taylor Makar added six points including a couple big goals. All three also need new contracts to return next season, though only Polin is an Unrestricted Free Agent. Gavin Brindley also made the most of his second season in the AHL with eight points.
Trent Miner was exceptional in net starting all 17 games for the Eagles and put up a 11-6 record with a 1.87 Goals Against Average and .925 save percentage. While he looked mortal at the end of the Chicago series, Miner was still a great asset for this postseason run. He is signed for one more year but top prospect Ilya Nabokov will have to get in the net at some point.
Moving forward, there is going to be a lot of change to come for this Eagles squad. Many of the veterans are on expiring contracts and as aforementioned many of the younger key contributors are Restricted Free Agents with arbitration rights and therefore aren’t as easy to bring back. Much will be known by the end of the month with qualifying offers are due and any loose ends are tied up with contract extensions, should there be mutual interest in those returning.
One bit of good news is captain Jayson Megna, who missed the month of postseason play after taking a puck to the face, returned for Colorado’s final game. He also scored a goal in the final minutes of the third period in hopes of sending the game to overtime but the Eagles needed one more. Megna signed a contract extension in April to return for another year, which is one piece of the 2026-27 roster that is not in question.
This Eagles team has a lot to be proud of and played very well over four rounds which spanned nearly two months of postseason play. Ultimately how that will impact the Avalanche is up in the air but hopefully some of the key performers get another look for opportunity in the NHL.
