Aces clinch conference title

Wednesday he was named the ECHL's All-Rookie goaltender.

Thursday he was named the first-team All-ECHL goalie.

And Friday, he stopped 30 shots to record his league-record eighth shutout, spearhead a 3-0 road win at Utah and help the Aces secure both the West Division and National Conference crowns.

Alaska's victory, coupled with Idaho's 3-2 home loss to Phoenix, clinched both titles for the Aces and means they will be hanging two more banners inside Sullivan Arena, their home hockey rink.

The Aces' West Division title marks their fourth in the last five seasons, and their National Conference crown marks their third in the last five campaigns.

And that means the franchise that captured the 2006 Kelly Cup and has advanced at least as far as the second round of the postseason five years running --no other ECHL team has matched that streak -- clinched home-ice advantage for the first three rounds of the playoffs. They open the first round with a best-of-7 series against Utah, beginning Friday at Sullivan.

The Aces swarmed Lamoureux and celebrated after earning their 11th win in their last 13 games, 15th in their last 18 and 17th in their last 21. Friday's win before an announced crowd of 6,866 at The E-Center in West Valley City ended almost simultaneously with Phoenix's win in Boise, Idaho.

"The last 10 minutes of the third, you could tell the guys were up on the bench and excited to try to get the shutout,'' Lamoureux said by cell phone. "It was humbling for me to see the guys like that, and it shows what group of guys they are.

"They probably cared more about that shutout than I did, and that says a lot about them.''

Alaska's ascendancy this season came after a blistering start, a mediocre middle of the season -- injuries and call-ups to the American Hockey League plagued the Aces -- and a fantastic finish.

"What we saw all season is this team always rises to a challenge,'' coach Keith McCambridge said by cell phone from Utah.

Fittingly, most of the offense the Aces needed Friday was provided by captain Scott Burt and winger Lance Galbraith, who have each won two Kelly Cups with Idaho and are known as leaders both on the ice and in the dressing room. They have also been at their best in the stretch run to the playoffs -- Burt, for instance, has scored at least one goal in six straight games and has furnished eight goals in the last eight games.

"The last month and a half, their whole level of play has risen,'' McCambridge said.

The Aces also got a goal from defenseman Bryan Miller, not to mention three helpers from winger Brett Hemingway to give him 17 assists in the last 14 games, and owned a 3-0 lead just three minutes into the second period.

Lamoureux did the rest. And by bagging yet another shutout, he not only seized that league record but increased his league-leading win total to 33 and moved into first place in the league in both goals-against average (2.29) and save percentage (.923).

Presumably, Lamoureux is a strong candidate for the Rookie of the Year award to be announced today, seems a lock to be named the league's Goaltender of the Year when that honor is announced next week and should likewise receive strong consideration for league Most Valuable Player.

"He made some big saves tonight, as usual,'' McCambridge said. "Status quo for J.P.''

And yet again, the Aces flourished in part by virtue of special-teams superiority. They cashed in twice on six power-play chances -- Miller and Galbraith struck early in the second period -- and their league-leading penalty-killing crew snuffed six Grizzlies power plays.

Alaska's win and Idaho's loss rendered tonight's Aces regular-season finale in Utah largely meaningless for both the Aces and Grizzlies.

That will allow McCambridge to rest second-team All-ECHL defenseman Matt Shasby, who has been battling a groin injury and played sparingly Friday, though enough to quarterback the power play and earn an assist on Miller's goal.

McCambridge was so careful with Shasby, who missed the previous two games, that he didn't use him for a single shift in the first period and only played him on early second-period power plays when there was a fresh sheet of ice. McCambridge's concern was that Shasby might catch a skate in rutted ice and aggravate his injury.

McCambridge tonight will also give Lamoureux a rest -- the rookie has started 51 of Alaska's 71 games and has not sat out two straight games since the first week of January. In Lamoureux's stead, rookie Matt Lundin, fresh out of Mercyhurst, will make his pro debut.

The Aces didn't plan any post-game celebration Friday -- "Get a bite to eat and get back to the hotel,'' McCambridge said.

After all, they do have one regular-season game left. Besides, in pro hockey, the only celebration and club covets is one at the end of the postseason, as McCambridge learned in 2006, when he retired as a player after captaining the Aces to the Kelly Cup.

"Now, the playoffs, this is what you play for,'' McCambridge said.

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Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

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Aces 1 2 0 -- 3

Utah 0 0 0 -- 0

First Period -- 1, Aces, Burt 20 (Kana, B. Hemingway), 9:40. Penalties -- Erickson, Aces (tripping), 3:38; Hart, Utah (slashing), 10:22; May, Utah (roughing), 17:24; Stefanishion, Aces, double minor, served by Galbraith (roughing), 17:24; Thauwald, Utah (tripping), 19:45.

Second Period -- 2, Aces, Miller 10 (B. Hemingway, Shasby), :51 (pp); 3, Aces, Galbraith 18 (Imbeault, B. Hemingway), 3:26 (pp). Penalties -- Thauwald, Utah (holding), 2:16; Imbeault, Aces (hooking), 6:38; Walsh, Utah (cross-checking), 9:52; Novak, Aces (boarding), 15:16; Pavli, Utah (goaltender interference), 16:54; Keith, Aces (hooking), 19:25.

Third Period -- None. Penalties -- Stefanishion, Aces (slashing), 9:18; Walsh, Utah (slashing), 11:22; Pavli, Utah, double minor (roughing), 12:46; Erickson, Aces (boarding), 12:46; Imbeault, Aces (roughing), 12:46.

Shots on goal -- Aces 13-14-5--32. Utah 10-10-10--30.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 2 of 6; Utah 0 of 6.

Goalies -- Aces, Lamoureux 33-16-2 (30 shots-30 saves). Utah, Gherson 5-5-0 (32-29).

A -- 6,866 (10,200). T -- 2:20.

Referee -- Jarrod Ragusin. Linesmen -- Ed Henderson, James McKenna.