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