Miner, Barré-Boulet lead Colorado past Henderson in playoff opener

Colorado opened the Pacific Division semifinals with the kind of road win that can reshape a playoff series fast: a 1-0 victory over Henderson at Lee’s Family Forum that put the Eagles in control before the matchup ever had a chance to open up. Alex Barré-Boulet scored the only goal, converting a power play with 2:20 left in the first period, and Trent Miner handled everything else, turning aside all 18 shots he faced for his second shutout of the postseason.

That was the story from the start for Colorado. Rather than trading chances with one of the AHL’s most dangerous offenses, the Eagles dragged Henderson into a low-event game and made every shift feel expensive. The Silver Knights, who had been averaging 4.52 goals over their previous 29 games, were held to just 18 shots overall and only five in the third period as they pressed for an equalizer. For a team built to score in waves, that was a sharp turn into frustration.

Miner’s numbers told the rest of the story. The Colorado goaltender improved to 3-0 in the postseason with a microscopic 0.33 goals-against average and a .984 save percentage. Through three playoff starts, he has allowed one goal on 63 shots, a stretch that has given Colorado the kind of crease stability that travels in April and May. Carl Lindbom did his part for Henderson with 32 saves, but the edge in the net belonged entirely to Miner, whose calm night turned a pressure-packed opener into a one-goal climb for the home side.

That pressure now lands squarely on Henderson. The Silver Knights lost in regulation for the first time since Jan. 18 at Colorado, ending a 20-0-2 run, and now must chase the best-of-five series from behind with Game 2 set for Monday in Henderson. The format allows little room for another slow start, especially against a team that has already shown it can win without scoring in bunches. Henderson entered the postseason as the Pacific’s fourth-ranked offense at 3.38 goals per game and tied for third on the power play at 23.9 percent, with nine players on the active roster carrying double-digit goals.

Colorado, meanwhile, had been preparing for this moment since clinching its playoff berth on March 30. The Eagles did not need a track meet to make their point. They needed structure, discipline and a goaltender locked in at the exact right time, and they got all three in a shutout opener that put the Silver Knights on the back foot immediately.