Adam Beckman gave Colorado a jolt, but the Eagles couldn’t turn it into points Friday night in Loveland.
Calgary slipped past Colorado 2-1 behind a strong outing from goalie Owen Say, who earned his first win of the season by stopping 18 of 19 shots. Ilya Nabokov took the loss for Colorado after allowing two goals on 19 shots.
The Wranglers struck first just 2:37 into the game when Sam Morton parked himself at the top of the crease and redirected a shot from the point past Nabokov for a 1-0 lead.
Colorado’s penalty kill kept the Eagles within reach in the opening period, shutting down all four Calgary power plays. The Eagles also came up empty on their lone chance with the man advantage, sending Calgary to the first intermission with the lead intact.
Beckman, who now leads the team with six goals, pulled Colorado even in the second period. At 8:16, he finished a power-play sequence by sweeping home a one-timer from the slot to make it 1-1.
The Eagles carried that momentum through the middle frame, outshooting Calgary 8-4, but neither side found another breakthrough before the second intermission.
The decisive moment came quickly after the break. Just 48 seconds into the third period, Calgary’s Rory Kerins pounced on a loose puck in the crease and tucked it in on a power play to put the Wranglers back in front 2-1.
Colorado finished 1-for-7 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
In Other News...
Avalanche Forward Depth Just Took Another Hit They Can't Easily Cover
Colorados forward depth has already been under pressure, and Zachary LHeureuxs absence only adds to the challenge. The Avalanche have been without him since Oct. 10 because of an upper-body injury, and placing him on long-term injured reserve retroactive to that date underscores how much time they expect to go without him. For a team trying to keep its lines steady, losing another forward this early in the season is not an easy spot to absorb.
Jared Bednar has already labeled the injury long-term, though he stopped short of offering a return date, and LHeureux still has not resumed skating as he works through the recovery process off the ice. That leaves Colorado waiting for any sign of progress while the rest of the roster has to keep carrying the load. In a season where depth is always tested, this is one more absence the Avalanche would rather not be managing for long. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche May Have Found A Draft Gem With One Big Catch
The Avalanche used one of their fourth-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft on Axel Elofsson, a puck-moving defenseman whose game is built around skating, vision and playmaking. The Swedish blueliner has already shown he can drive offense from the back end, and his production on loan with IK Oskarshamn in HockeyAllsvenskan has only added to the intrigue around his upside.
The catch is the same one that tends to follow skilled young defensemen with this kind of profile: Elofsson is undersized and still has work to do in his own end. Colorado clearly saw enough in the offensive package to take the swing, but his path to becoming more than a promising draft value will depend on whether he can round out the defensive side while continuing to produce at a high level. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Interest In Dylan Larkin Comes With One Huge Problem
The idea of Dylan Larkin in Colorado has enough appeal to keep circulating, but the practical hurdles are still doing most of the talking. Elliotte Friedman said a trade sending the Detroit Red Wings captain to the Avalanche is unlikely unless something major changes, and the reason is pretty straightforward: Colorado does not currently have the trade capital or the salary cap space to make that kind of move work.
For the Avalanche, that leaves the interest in Larkin more as a concept than a real transaction path for now. Detroit would also have to come down on its asking price, and until that happens, the fit remains more theoretical than realistic. It is the kind of rumor that makes sense on paper, but not in the current NHL marketplace. [Read more 🡒]