Eagles December 2010 Report

After 27 games of the IHL '10'11 season the Eagles are 3 points above .500 with a 15-12-0 record. While not a stellar performance, there's a lot of parity in the IHL and the 30 points currently has the Eagles tied with the San Fran Shamrocks & Gotland Gladiators for 1st in the Shore Division. The Shamrocks have 3 games in hand on the Eagles, though, while the Gladiators have 2.
To date the team is led in scoring by Patrick Marleau who has 15g - 19a - 34 pts. He is followed by linemate and center Paul Stastny who has 8g -24a - 32pts. The defense corps sees Matthew Carle among the blueliner leaders in scoring with 3g - 13a - 16 pts. Certainly a pleasant surprise to date.
Marty Brodeur's current goals against average of 2.99 places him 8th among the league's netminders, while his 15 wins and 2 shutouts have him tied for 1st in the league in those categories.





Over in the Orr Division it's beginning to look like the New York Transit may be taking the top honors this season. They have 38 points, 8 more than four other teams that have 30 in the League. Plus they lead the League in goal scoring by a wide margin with 123 to date and goals against with 64. With the high in goals scored and the low in goals against, that's certainly a recipe for success and difficult for anyone to contend with.
Congrats Transit and GM Chris Wolter on a fine season to date!




Reported by Griz Adams

Eagles Mid-Season Report

WHERE'S THE LEADERSHIP???

(AP) Colorado After the 8-3 drubbing at the hands of the Millionaires in game 41 of the season, it appears leadership is sorely lacking on this club since last season. It certainly seems that the trading of Captain Doan to division rival San Fran ripped the heart out of this club. Staal certainly hasn't stepped up to the plate to lead this club. Nor have recent arrivals Marleau and St. Louis. While Langenbrunner & Scott Niedermayer have done a better job of it, not everyone has responded to their leadership 'styles'. Langenbrunner is more vocal while Nieds tends to let his play do the talking. All management can do is wait 'til next year. Better results should be seen then. Statistically speaking, it should happen. But then...what's the old saying? Oh yeah..."statistics are for losers".
While the Eagles will probably make the playoffs again this season, it's hard to see them going anywhere given the regular season to date. Will there be a transformance over the second half? I suppose it could happen.
What's interesting is that the parent Colorado club had been playing better recently without some key players. Plying their trade 'down' on the farm in Utah have been Stastny & Hannan. Only recently was Hejduk called back up and this was due to an injury to Joel Ward.
Even Staal, Marleau, Brodeur and others had been sent down at one point with a couple three games down on the farm. It seemed on their return that their stint in the 'R' did them wonders because upon being re-inserted in the parent club Colorado lineup, they went on a 7 game win streak. Who sez ya can't send 'em to the farm after they've seen Pa'ree?
Maybe another stint in the Great Salt Lake State is due for some again? Plekanec took over Stastny's role on arrival and has actually been playing better numbers wise. Well, that sez it all since numbers is all we have to go by...eh? Ward did much better in place of Hejduk and will probably be called back up. Ditto for Brodeur after letting in the eight. Sheesh. As for Stastny & Hannan, they might just stay with the 'Griz unti next season. Don't know about any moves for certain, I''ll see. Pardon me my musings.
At any rate, the organization will probably be standing pat for the foreseeable future and staying away from those trade bait fishing inquiries. Like a 'grizz, they just seem to bite us in the end.

Reported by Griz Adams

Eagles Update

(AP) Colorado Many personnel changes have transpired since the last report and me wonders if any were for the best. The club seems to be going backwards since subtracting Doan, Pony, Byfuglien, Boyd, Bailey & Foligno while adding Eric Staal, Marleau & St. Louis. Not to mention a top prospect in Ekman-Larsson and a 1st round entry going out the door also in bringing in St. Louis and Marleau.
On paper the poor efforts, for the most part, with losing more than winning doesn't make sense given the overall talent level of the club...but that's the way the cookie crumbles...eh
Lately the club has managed to claw their way to 2nd place in Shore Division behind the San Fran Shamrocks.
However, 6 points back and a .417 record (10-14) to the Shams .650 (13-7) doesn't bode well.
With Pony being 2nd on the Shamrocks scoresheet in scoring to date with Doan tied for 3rd, the old axiom of not trading with a divisional rival certainly holds true.
Can only wonder what the standings might be if Doan and Pony had never been moved. Oh well, hindsight is always 20-20...eh. If the record was better then the hindsight musings wouldn't be going on.
The Eagles scoresheet to date shows blueliner Scott Niedermayer leading the club in scoring with 27 points on the strength of 5 goals and 22 assists. When a blueliner leads your club in scoring even though it is Scott Niedermayer, you've got problems...eh
Next is newcomer Eric Staal with 22 points (6-16) and St. Louis 20, (8-12). Granted, not all of St. Louis' scoring came while on the Eagles. However, it is pleasant to note that St. Louis has posted the 20 points in only 15 games played, so possibly he will be leading the Eagles to better play the rest of the season. Ryan Smyth leads the club with 10 goals and is tied with St. Louis with 20 points.
On the other side of the coin Marleau is a hideous -17 with Heduk at -16. Marleau's comes despite a point per game performance. Ouch! Whole lotta scoring going on with him on the ice! Too bad it's more to the negative.
Also, Staal has been demoted to the 3rd line for the time being in trying to find the right chemistry. Lately it appears to be working with the Eagles posting a 3-2 record in the past 5 games. Yeah, kinda poor when you get excited about a 3-2 record! LOL!
Well, the talent is there. Will just have to be patient and see what the apba gods bestow upon the club during the rest of the season.

Reported by Grizz Adams

Eagles Bolster Blueline

(AP) Colorado

The Colorado Eagles acquired veteran blueliner Wade Redden (left) from the New York Transit to bolster their blueline over the second half of the season. Going east to the big apple for Wade is rearguard Lasse Kukkonen (right) along with the Eagles 2nd round pick in next season's free agent draft.
The pick and Kukkonen was a decent price for the vet Redden. Upon his arrrival he was paired with Rafalski on the 2nd line defense pair. As a result of the trade, rookie Winger-Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien was sent to the club's minor league affiliate Utah Grizzlies of the RSHL.
Byfuglien had been with the parent club most of the season after proving himself early in the season in Utah. However, the coaching staff feels Redden will help an already talent rich defense corps more so than Dustin at this point in his IHL development. Dustin was inserted at 4th line RW and 2nd line left defense on the power play unit upon his arrival in Utah.
The other 5 blueliners for the Eagles are Scott Niedermayer, John-Michael Liles, Brian Rafalski, Jan Hejda and Scott Hannan. A fairly formidable defense corps.
After 45 games the Eagles are in 2nd place in the Shore Division, 10 points back of the division leading Gotland Gladiators and 4 points ahead of the Southwest Scorpions and Hartford Wolfpack. The Eagles hope to close the gap on the Gladiators by the end of the season and the addition of Redden should help the club towards that goal.
Currently leading the club in scoring is Shane Doan (left) with 70 points (36g 34a) which places him in a tie for 3rd in the entire league with Prospal of Gotland. Joe Thornton (right) of Gotland leads the league in scoring with 80 points to date with 25 goals and 55 assists.

Reported by Grizz Adams

Auld Shines in Debut

(AP) Utah

The Colorado-Utah franchise recently acquired goalie Alex Auld from the Boston-Cape Cod organization for their '09 2nd round entry pick and blueliner Kyle Cumiskey. While Cumiskey was difficult to part with, he is organizational depth at this point in his career and the goaltending situation needed to be shored up a bit for next year.
That 2nd rounder is like a bad penny, it keeps coming in and going back out.
Upon reporting to the Utah Grizzlies as an introduction to the organization, Auld was installed as the starting goaltender on the 1st night! So much for easing into a new setting. Well, Auld showed the professional he is by going out and whitewashing the visiting Johnstown Jets 3-0! He turned aside 21 shots in all in out battling his counterpart on the Jets, netminder Mathieu Garon.
Lighting the lamp for the Grizzlies of the RSHL were Pony (6), Todd White (5) and the recently acquired Chris Higgins (4). Higgins now has 4g 7a 11pts in 7gp with the Grizz! If he keeps going like this it won't be long before he earns himself a spot in the show!
The Grizz currently have 14 pts in 16gp and are in 4th place in the Rose Divsion of the RSHL.
Over in the IHL, the parent Colorado Eagles sport a 10-6 record good for 20pts and are tied for 2nd in the Shore Division.
Recently portsider Jay Pandolfo returned from a minor injury. He has been assigned to Utah for rehab while he gets his skates under him. He'll be manning the left side on the 3rd line checking unit along with the #1 pk unit.

Reported by Grizz Adams...

Erat out - Higgins in

(AP) Colorado

Recently the Eagles sent winger Martin Erat (right) from their Utah affiliate to Hartford for portsider Chris Higgins (left).
Erat was promoted to the IHL by Hartford and is currently their 1st line left wing.
Chris Higgins was sent to Utah, initially being assigned to 2nd line duties with Legwand and Miettinen as his linemates. Well, the three clicked so well together that the entire line has been promoted to the 1st line for Utah.
In 4 games Higgins has registered 4g 3a for 7 points with a +3 rating along with one game winner. He has also registered 7 hits in the 4 games. He wasn't even seeing ice time in the Hartford organization!
Erat has also done well playing in the IHL with Hartford. He has continued his fine play that he had been performing for Utah in the RSHL. To date, the trade appears to be a win-win scenario for both organizations.
Coming along with Higgins was Colorado's 2nd Rd entry pick in '09 which had previously been traded to Hartford in the Brodeur deal early this season.

Reported by Grizz Adams

Doan Named Player of the Month

(AP) Colorado

The Colorado Eagles were extremely proud when it was announced today that right winger and alternate Captain Shane Doan had been named the IHL's Player of the Month for November 2008.
"We, as an organization, are proud that Shane has been awarded player of the month honors. It shows what hard work can lead to. Of course, we've always known of Shane's character and dedication to the IHL. He is one of the on-ice leaders of our franchise and also gives a lot of his free time to charitable efforts in the local community." GM Poelker said in a statement to the media.
Shane earned the award on the strength of 11 goals and 4 assists in 7 games. He also logged a +4 rating along with 2 power play goals and 2 game winners.
The Eagles are currently tied for 1st place in the Shore Division with the Gotland Gladiators. Each team at press time had 10 points in 7 games played.

Reported by Grizz Adams