Colorado Eagles advance to third round of AHL Calder Cup playoffs
After a best-of-five victory over the Henderson Silver Knights, the second-seeded team travels to Coachella for the next stage of the postseason.
The Colorado Eagles have secured their place in the third round of the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs, having defeated the Henderson Silver Knights in the second round. As the second seed in the Pacific Division, the Eagles now face the fourth-seeded Coachella Valley Firebirds in a best-of-five series to determine the divisional crown. The Firebirds serve as the American Hockey League affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.
The Eagles entered the full tournament with home-ice advantage, a structural benefit that will see the initial two games of the upcoming series played in Coachella before the final three contests return to Colorado if necessary. This schedule shift marks a departure from the previous rounds, where the team began the postseason with a play-in series against the San Diego Gulls in April.
Progression to this stage required overcoming a resilient opponent in the second round. The series against Henderson was split in the opening games, with the Eagles securing a 1-0 victory in Nevada before suffering a 4-3 overtime loss. The momentum shifted upon their return home, where a 5-0 shutout followed by a 6-2 victory sealed the advancement.
Throughout the postseason, goaltender Trent Miner has been a consistent institutional strength for the franchise. He recorded a shutout during the play-in round with 16 saves and posted his third shutout of the postseason in the second round, stopping 20 shots in the decisive game. His performance provided the stability required to navigate the best-of-five format against the Silver Knights.
Offensive contributions were distributed across the lineup during the recent victory over Henderson. Key scorers included Sean Behrens, Matthew DeMarsico, Ivan Ivan, Taylor Makar, TJ Hughes, and Gavin Brindley, with the latter two adding goals in the final game to close out the series. The team's ability to generate scoring opportunities in both ends of the rink was instrumental in their success.
As the Eagles prepare to travel to Coachella for the first two games of the Pacific Division Finals, the focus shifts to maintaining their structural discipline. The series begins on Wednesday, with the outcome of the best-of-five matchup remaining undecided as the team seeks to hoist the Cup.
