ECHL Kelly Cup: Eagles Rally Back To Shock Steelheads

After falling to a four goal deficit before the start of the third period, the Colorado Eagles would stormed back with 5 unanswered goals to walk away with the 6-5 overtime victory, but mostly importantly extend to a 3-1 series lead over the Steelheads.

It would be Idaho who would get things started, as Steelheads forward Anthony Luciani would hunt down a bouncing puck between the circles, sniping it past Eagles goalie Lukas Hafner to give the Steelheads the 1-0 early lead. Idaho would pour it on in the first period, as they would put on 15 shots on net, while the Eagles on getting five shots on net.

In the middle frame, the Steelheads would start where they left off, as Steelheads defenseman Aaron Harstad would wire a shot from the top of the circle on the powerplay only 31 seconds into the middle frame to increase the Steelheads lead to 2-0.

Only a few moments later, Harstad would get his second of the game with another blistering shot from the same spot to give the Steelheads the 3-0 lead over the Eagles. Only 48 seconds later, the Steelheads would increase their lead to 4-0 over the Eagles, as Luciani would find the back of the net off of a wrister to give the Steelheads the 4-0 lead.

The Eagles would be forced to use their timeout to calm everyone down, and the meeting proved to be beneficial, as Eagles forward Matt Register would beat Steelheads goalie Landon Bow with a slapshot on the two-man advantage to get the Eagles on the board.

Matt Garbowsky would get his game going, as he would fire a slapshot from the bottom of the circle that would find its way past the Steelheads goalie and into the back of the net.

Idaho would respond with a goal of their own, as forward Andre Bouvet-Morrissette would get his first goal of the playoff after finding the back of the net on a breakaway to give the Steelheads the 5-2 lead with only 4:27 left in the second period.

The rally for the Eagles would begin late in the third period, as Julien Nantel would deflect a shot, that would find its way to the back of the net with only 2:28 remaining in the final frame to bring the score to a 5-3 Steelheads lead.

Only 29 seconds after Nantel's tally, Belize would come onto the ice as the extra attacker for the pulled Hafner. He would wire a shot from the left of the circle into the back of the net to bring the Eagles to within one goal with only 1:59 remaining in the third period.

Only nine seconds would remain on the clock when the Eagles would come up with the equalizing goal, as Register would fire a rocket from the point that would find the back of the net to tie the game and force overtime.

The action would fall to the dying seconds of the overtime period, as Belzile would win the game when he would come out of the corner with the puck, and roof it over the Steelheads goalie to give the Eagles the 6-5 overtime victory, and be within one win of advancing the Colorado Eagles to the second round of the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The Eagles will hope to close out the series as they face the Idaho Steelheads for Game 5 of the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs on Saturday, April 22nd with puck drop at 7:10pm.

Update ECHL Bracket

Colorado Eagles vs Idaho Steelheads; Eagles lead 3-1

Allen Americans vs Utah Grizzlies; Americans lead 3-1

Fort Wayne Komets vs Quad City Mallards; Komets lead 3-1

Toledo Walleye vs Kalamazoo Wings; Walleye lead 3-2

Greenville Swamp Rabbits vs South Carolina Stingrays; Stingrays lead 3-2

Florida Everblades vs Orlando Solar Bears; Solar Bears lead 2-1

Reading Royals vs Brampton Beast; Series tied 2-2

Adirondack Thunder vs Manchester Monarchs; Monarchs lead 3-1