Colorado Eagles Fly Past The San Francisco Bulls
By Ryan Bayer
San Francisco Bulls forward #45 Dean Ouellet gets in the action on a clearing attempt against the Colorado Eagles as goaltender #33 Thomas Heemsherk looks on. Mandatory credit: San Francisco Bulls media department.
Tonight San Francisco hosted the Colorado Eagles for the second time of their season. With last night’s loss that featured the Chad Costello show from the Eagles, the Bulls looked to get the weekend split over a Colorado team that’s had their number in the three previous meetings and have them being badly outscored by an 18-4 margin. The latest San Francisco Bulls injury report update: defenseman #17 Rob Kwiet was not in the lineup as the organization has him listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury that he was subjected to in Wednesdays contest against Bakersfield. For the tonight’s matchup the Bulls were only able to dress five defenseman.
San Francisco Bulls forward #11 Jamie Devane. Mandatory credit: San Francisco Media department.
Business picked up early in the game as the first fight ensued with Bulls defenseman Simon Danis-Pepin dropped the gloves with Colorado Eagles defenseman Cody Sol, thus setting the tone of physical play for tonights contest at the 4:03 mark as both get five minutes each. Minutes later, another fight occurred as Bulls Jamie Devane and Eagles Norm Ezekiel would go at it with one another as they would each get five for fighting at 8:14 of the first. Devane would however receive an additional two minutes for cross checking as the Bulls would be shorthanded. In addition, Bulls Peter Sivak would get called for interference making it a crowded penalty box for San Francisco. The Bulls pk unit would get tested early against the powerful offense lead by Eagles forward Chad Costello. While the Eagles were on the five on three opportunity, Colorado would fail to convert as San Francisco with a brilliant effort put on a show of resistance to keep the game at zero. Minutes after the Bulls killed off the five on three penalty, San Francisco would get their first power play opportunity of the game when Colorado defenseman Isaac Smeltzer would go off to the box for holding at 12:58 of opening stanza. On the man advantage situation the Bulls would up short as the Eagles denied San Francisco first major scoring opportunity. Less than four minutes following San Francisco first man advantage opportunity, the Eagles would once again be on the wrong end of the stick as Cody Sol would go off to the sin bin for roughing. On another power play chance for the Bulls, they would once again come up short as Colorado pk unit remained a perfect 2-2 thus keeping it deadlocked at zero. Both teams would enter the first intermission with San Francisco holding a 4 shot advantage over Colorado at 10-6.
San Francisco Bulls forward #18 Alex Tuckerman. Mandatory credit: San Francisco Bulls media department.
As the middle frame got underway, Bulls would get a penalty called as Alex Tuckerman would go out for tripping at 0:46 of the middle stanza. Bulls pk unit would go to work for the third time of the game as they would eventually put up a brick wall as the Eagles failed to score on the man advantage to keep the game locked at zero. With action pretty quiet in the middle frame, that changed when the Eagles broke the deadlock when Kevin Ulanski put one past Bulls net minder Thomas Heemsherk to take a one goal lead as he added his second goal of the season with the only assist from forward Riley Nelson as he added his seventh of the year at 10:02 of the middle frame. Moments after the Eagles scored their first tally of the contest, San Francisco Dylan King would get the call to the box as he was charged with interference at the 13:55 mark. With the Bulls shorthanded, the Eagles would put San Francisco to work on the penalty kill. On the man advantage opportunity for Colorado, they meet some push back as once they came up short to increase their lead as San Francisco remained perfect on the pk with 4-4. The Bulls would however maintain there shots on goal lead over in the Eagles at a 20-18 margin.
San Francisco Bulls forward #23 Andrew Crescenzi. Mandatory credit: San Francisco Bulls media department.
San Francisco would entered the final period trailing the Eagles 1- 0 and much like the second period, the final stanza was pretty quiet. During the middle of the period the physicality return as both teams finished their checks. Bulls forward Marek Viedensky had a prime scoring opportunity has attempted the wrap around but would get denied by Kyle Jones of the Eagles thus protecting his shutout bid. Bulls tried another attempt to get on the board when Joe Sova put rubber on Jones but would get denied as the Eagles net minder made a spectacular save. Moments after the Bulls tried to the tie the game up, Colorado would score their second goal of the night as Jack Combs put one past Heemsherk to make it 2-0 Eagles with the only assist by Arthur Bidwell who added his sixth of the year at 10:48 of the third. Less than five minutes later, Eagle’s Marto was given a 5 minute major for slashing San Francisco’s forward Marek Viedensky and a received a game misconduct 5:34 giving the Bulls the opportunity to cut into the Eagles two goal lead. On the man advantage, another penalty would be given to Colorado when Nelson went to sin bin at 17:34 of the third. On the power play, San Francisco finally broke thru as forward Peter Sivak put the rubber past Jones to the Eagles lead in half and added his ninth of tally of the season with assists from Guimond and Ouellet. However their celebration would be short lived as the Eagles would salt to game when two members of the ECHL’s top scoring line added the third goal when Jack Combs put in the empty netter which was his second of the night and 16th of the season with only assist from Chad Costello who continues to pile on the points with his 31st of the year. At the end of the contest the Bulls decisively out shot the Eagles with a 32-28 margin. With tonights loss, San Francisco sits in sixth place overall in West and Colorado moved into five place overall in Western Conference. The Bulls are back in action this Thursday night as they welcome the Stockton Thunder for a rare mid week contest, puck is set to drop at 7:15p at the legendary Cow Palace.
3 Stars of the game:
1. COL – 21 Jack Combs
2. COL – 29 Kyle Jones
3. SF – 47 Dylan King
Be sure to follow all of your BoT staff on twitter!!!
@KingShark49 @bluelinebomber @81Bayer
Blades of Teal: The Final Word On San Jose Sharks Hockey