Bradley’s Two Goals Lead Colorado Eagles to 5-2 Win at Abbotsford

Chase Bradley paced the Colorado Eagles with two goals, the second into an empty net, as Colorado defeated the Abbotsford Canucks 5-2 in Abbotsford on March 6, 2026. Danil Gushchin and Valtteri Puustinen each finished with two assists to fuel the attack.

Colorado struck first when Jason Polin beat Abbotsford goalie Patera midway through the opening period to make it 1–0. Patera stood tall early, turning aside 16 shots in the first twenty minutes to keep the Canucks within reach. Abbotsford managed just three shots in the second period as momentum swung decisively to the visitors.

Jack Thompson, in his Abbotsford debut, tied the game nine minutes into the second period, but Colorado answered immediately: Bradley reclaimed the lead just 20 seconds after Thompson’s goal. Six minutes later Luke Toporowski extended the Eagles’ advantage to 3–1, and Colorado carried that two-goal cushion into the third period.

The third opened with Ivan Ivan slipping one past Patera 57 seconds into the frame to push the lead to 4–1. The Canucks battled back when Thompson fired a blue-line shot that deflected off Ben Berard’s stick in front, cutting the deficit to 4–2. With a few minutes remaining Abbotsford pulled Patera for the extra attacker, but Bradley found the empty net to seal the 5–2 final.

Abbotsford’s short bench was a recurring theme in the postgame notes, yet the club still “put up a strong fight against the top team in the division.” The two teams are scheduled to meet again tomorrow night for the season finale, giving Abbotsford one more chance to split the series.

The Eagles’ victory also arrived with roster context: Bradley had just returned to the AHL lineup after a brief two-game stint with the Colorado Avalanche, and his multi-goal night continued a hot stretch. Bradley said, "I think it was back-to-back shifts. So I felt good going into the game. My confidence has been up. It’s good to be back. Get back here, learn some stuff up there, but back to work here, and hopefully, I improve even more."

Colorado’s depth and special-teams work have shown earlier in the season as well: in a November victory over the Texas Stars in Loveland the Eagles were 2-for-4 on the power play, 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and added a shorthanded goal, while goaltender Trent Miner turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced in that game. That sequence of team performances helped carry the Eagles into Friday’s win at Abbotsford.

For Colorado the win bolsters the division race and keeps momentum intact; for Abbotsford the quick turnaround tomorrow offers a final chance to challenge the Eagles with returning depth and another night of high-volume goalkeeping from Patera.