News
Date: Feb 04, 2010
Home sweet home
Frontiersman
BY GREG JOHNSON
WASILLA — A trio of power-play goals and a fast first period
set the tone Thursday for the Alaska Avalanche in the team’s first home
game in nearly two months.
The
4-3 win over the Kenai River Brown Bears was just the ticket for an
Avalanche squad that is looking to make a push in the North American
Hockey League West Division standings. The Avs were in third place
going into Thursday’s game behind second-place Fairbanks.
“It
was good to be home,” said Alaska head coach Dave Boitz. “That was a
long time to be out on the road, no question. ... Tonight was a pretty
entertaining game. I thought both teams played pretty hard.”
Although the road trip was long, the team maintained its focus, the coach said.
“We’ve been playing hockey the whole time, so our effort was good,” he said.
 ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman Alaska Avalanche forward Matt Friese takes a shot on goal during the first period of Thursday’s game against the Kenai River Brown Bears at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla. |
Defending
their home ice for the first time since Dec. 9, the Avalanche came out
aggressive in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead about midway though
when Kyle Pichler split the pipes on a power play. And while the Avs
dominated the period, outshooting the Brown Bears 15-8, Kenai managed
to push the puck past Alaska goalie Kale Robertson with just under
three minutes left in the period — also a power play — to tie the score
at 1.
“The guys worked hard, for sure,” Boitz said of the
physical play. “The intensity level was good. I thought it was real
physical tonight. We need to add to that. We definitely need to pick up
the physical play, the intensity, follow up on our checks.”
In a
game that saw plenty of hard hits, it was Alaska’s ability to convert
the power play that make Thursday’s win a sweet homecoming. The
Avalanche converted three of six advantages, while Kenai managed just
one score on seven power play opportunities.
“Our power play was pretty good tonight,” Boitz said. “It bailed us out for sure.”
In
the second period, the only offense for either team came from Alaska’s
Jake Parenteau, who recorded an unassisted power play goal with 5:50
left to give Alaska a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish.
But
the Brown Bears made their division rivals work for the win in the last
10 minutes of the third period. After Jake Williams put Alaska up 3-1
on another power play score with 9:20 left in the game, Kenai finally
found the net again with just four minutes to play when Jesse Ramsey
found the back of the net.
The Avalanche would answer just 1:33
later when Blake Huppert scored what would become the game-winner,
assisted by Zach Smith and Williams.
Doug Beck’s unassisted score with less than 1:30 to play brought the Brown Bears close, trailing 4-3, but the rally fell short.
Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.
Alaska 4, Kenai River 3
Thursday, Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena
First period — 1. Alaska-Pickler (Parenteau, Johnson) pp 11:31; 2. Kenai River-Lubranski (Skinnars) pp 17:18.
Second period — 3. Alaska-Parenteau (ua) pp 14:10.
Third
period — 4. Alaska-Williams (Parenteau, Huppert) pp 9:20; 5. Kenai
River-Ramsey (Skinnars, Duwe) 16:00; 6. Alaska-Huppert (Smith,
Williams) 17:33; 7. Kenai River-Beck (ua) 18:31.
Shots on goal:
Alaska 15-11-10—36, Kenai River 8-11-11—30; Saves: Alaska-Robertson
7-11-9—27, Kenai River-Vasiljevs 14-10-8—32; Power plays: Alaska
3-for-6, Kenai River 1-for-7; Penalties: Alaska 10-for-23, Kenai River
9-for-21.
