Aces suffer another defeat in Game 3, if they can hang on for one more win game five will take place at the Sullivan Arena on Thursday. Photo courtesy the Alaska Aces.
Story Created:
Apr 30, 2008 at 9:33 PM AKDT
Story Updated:
Apr 30, 2008 at 9:33 PM AKDT
Alaska Aces latest information:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Kevin Lalande stopped 36 shots and Marco Peluso scored twice as Las Vegas once again never trailed in a 5-2 win over Alaska in front of 4,389 Tuesday at Sullivan Arena.
The Wranglers lead the best-of-seven National Conference semi-finals 3-0 and can wrap up a four-game sweep Thursday night at 7:15 p.m. Game Five, if necessary, has been scheduled for Friday at 7:15 p.m. in Anchorage. Tickets for Thursday’s Game Four will be on sale at the team offices at the corner of 15th and Gambell tomorrow and Thursday from 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Adam Miller immediately gave Las Vegas control of Tuesday’s contest by scoring from between the circles just 2:10 into the game. Peluso scored the first of his two goals at 4:46 of the second period to give the Wranglers a 2-0 edge, but on a delayed penalty, defenseman Derick Martin put the Aces on the board with his third goal of the playoffs, a wrist shot that sailed past a screened Lalande with 13:46 left in the middle frame. Martin and fellow blue-liner Matt Shasby, two of only three Alaska players to score in this series, share the Aces lead with three postseason goals.
Peluso, one of two Las Vegas holdovers that lost to Alaska in the 2006 West Division Finals, scored on the power play to push the Wranglers back in front by a pair of goals with 4:50 left in the second period, and 16 seconds later, Gerry Burke’s shot from the point slipped past a screened Chris Beckford-Tseu. The fourth-year goalie, one of eight Aces still remaining from the 2006 ECHL champions, left after the second period, having stopped 15 of 19 shots, and was replaced by Marek Schwarz, who stopped all eight shots on goal he faced in relief.
Kimbi Daniels scored on a rebound with 9:45 remaining in the third period and Alaska drew a late third period penalty, allowing the Aces to operate with a six-on-four situation, but an empty-netter by Vegas defenseman Jason Dest, his first goal of the entire season, sealed the victory. Alaska out-shot the Wranglers 17-9 in the third period and 38-28 for the game, but went 0-for-4 on the power play and is now 0-for-11 in the series. Las Vegas has scored 16 of the 19 goals in this series. Thursday’s game will be broadcast live on the flagship home of Aces hockey, AM 750 KFQD, with coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m.
#1 Las Vegas vs. #5 Alaska: (all times AT)
Game 1: Las Vegas 8, Alaska 0
Game 2: Las Vegas 3, Alaska 1
Game 3: Las Vegas 5, Alaska 2
Game 4: Vegas at Alaska THURSDAY 7:15 p.m.
Game 5: Vegas at Alaska FRIDAY 7:15 p.m. *
Game 6: Alaska at Vegas Tue., May 6 6:05 p.m. *
Game 7: Alaska at Vegas Wed., May 7 6:05 p.m. *
*If necessary
Aces latest information:
LAS VEGAS – Kevin Lalande extended his shutout streak to more than 106 minutes before Alaska finally got on the board early in the third period of an eventual 3-1 loss to Las Vegas in front of 3,520 Saturday at Orleans Arena.
Game Two began in much the same fashion as Game One, an 8-0 Las Vegas rout, as the Wranglers out-shot the Aces 18-6 in the first period and took a 1-0 lead when Adam Cracknell rammed home a rebound at 5:26. Alaska fought on far more even terms in the second period, as each team fired 13 shots on goal and hit a post, but failed to beat Lalande, and fell further behind when Shawn Limpright found Jason Josza off the rush for a 2-0 advantage heading to the final 20 minutes.
The Aces finally registered their first goal of the series when Matt Shasby one-timed a rebound of a Brett Hemingway shot past a lunging Lalande with 13:52 left in regulation. The score remained 2-1 until Josza found a streaking Curtis Fraser for a breakaway with six and a half minutes to play. Fraser beat Alaska goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu, who finished with 40 saves in suffering his first postseason loss in four starts against Vegas, to provide the Wranglers with a much-need insurance goal, and despite playing with an extra attacker for most of the final two minutes, the Aces never threatened, posting just four third period shots on goal and being out-shot 43-23 for the game.
Las Vegas has out-shot Alaska 89-43 over the first two games. The Aces swept the Wranglers in a three-game series at Sullivan Arena in late February, although each of those wins came in shootouts. No Alaska team has ever rallied to win a playoff series after dropping the first two games.
#1 Las Vegas vs. #5 Alaska: (all times AT)
Game 1: Las Vegas 8, Alaska 0
Game 2: Las Vegas 3, Alaska 1
Game 3: Vegas at Alaska Tue., April 29 7:15 p.m.
Game 4: Vegas at Alaska Thu., May 1 7:15 p.m.
Game 5: Vegas at Alaska Fri., May 2 7:15 p.m. *
Game 6: Alaska at Vegas Tue., May 6 6:05 p.m. *
Game 7: Alaska at Vegas Wed., May 7 6:05 p.m. *
