Rookies goals lead Aces' win

First things first, though, and that came Thursday night, when the Aces completed a two-game ECHL sweep of the Utah Grizzlies with a 3-2 win at Sullivan Arena.

Coupled with Wednesday's 5-2 win, those pivotal four points in the standings provided the Aces (28-26-5) a sound send-off into their idle weekend.

Idle on the ice, that is, with the exception of a light practice this morning and an off-ice workout Sunday.

Aces captain Scott Burt, for instance, has so many ideas for the weekend he could double as an event planner or a tour guide. His parents, Lyle and Christine, are in town, so Burt has mapped out, among other things, some ice bowling, a tram ride and dinner in Girdwood, a visit to the snow sculptures and participating with teammates Scott Reid and Derick Martin in a celebrity sled-dog racing event. Oh, and then there's dinner to celebrate his girlfriend Audrey's upcoming 30th birthday.

"I've got it all planned out,'' Burt said.

Meanwhile Reid, who furnished 37 saves Thursday, plans to enjoy some time with his fiancée, Meaghan Mikkelson, a member of Canada's gold-medal-winning Olympic women's hockey team. She arrives Sunday.

The sweep will make Alaska's six-day break a more pleasurable and comfortable one, especially in the tight National Conference race, where the fourth-place Aces and eighth-place Las Vegas are separated by just seven points with one month left in the regular season.

"We needed it,'' Reid said. "Every game right now is crucial, especially against teams (like sixth-place Utah) we're fighting for position with. Any time you sweep one of those teams, it's huge.''

The Aces earned the wins by virtue of rookie center Brock McBride's first two-goal game as a pro, rookie center Nick Mazzolini's second game-winning strike in two nights and another shutout of Utah's excellent power-play unit.

McBride and Utah sniper James Sixsmith each scored two goals Thursday, and Sixsmith's short-handed marker late in the second period forged a 2-2 tie.

But Mazzolini, who fired nine shots on goal Thursday after reeling off 10 in a two-goal, one-assist performance Wednesday, quickly countered Sixsmith's strike. Just 54 seconds after Sixsmith's goal, Mazzolini took a pass from Eric Boguniecki and whistled a wrist shot over the glove of Utah goalie Mitch O'Keefe for a 3-2 lead with just 31.4 seconds left in the second period.

Reid made that margin stand up with 12 third-period saves.

As for McBride, he's a rookie, so he plans to keep busy in the gym and get in a little down-time.

"I just want to keep my game going,'' he said. "Maybe take in a movie, play some video games, go out to dinner. I don't stray too far from the path.''

Nor does Aces coach Brent Thompson. In the ECHL, where the head coach is teacher, recruiter, planner, psychologist, salary-cap guru, video wizard, motivator and bench boss -- and that's the short list -- there's really no idle time during the season.

That's why Thompson plans to spend the next few days trying to secure more players and expects to spend his weekend back at Sullivan, this time watching UAA play Minnesota-Duluth.

Shuffling the deck

The Aces improved to 19-6-4 on home ice. Their .724 winning percentage at Sullivan is the third-best home-ice mark in the league. Alaska is 9-0-1 in its last 10 home games.

Mazzolini has points in the last three games, with 3-2--5 totals in that span, and has furnished 3-6--9 totals in the last seven games. Judd Blackwater, who had two assists Thursday, has 1-4--5 totals during his three-game point streak and 6-6--12 totals in the last eight games.

Utah's Sixsmith owns an 11-game point streak, with 8-12--20 totals in that span. He owns 18-26--44 totals in just 27 ECHL games this season.

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

Utah 1 1 0 -- 2

Aces 1 2 0 -- 3

First Period -- 1, Aces, McBride 7 (Marsh), :11; 2, Utah, Sixsmith 17 (Kinasewich, Wilson), 18:23. Penalties - Turek, Aces (high-sticking), :55; Martin, Aces (delay of game-puck over glass), 2:06; Tuzzolini, Aces (roughing), 13:58.

Second Period -- 3, Aces, McBride 8 (Blackwater, Peluso), 13:28; 4, Utah, Sixsmith 18, 18:34 (sh); 5, Aces, Mazzolini 22 (Boguniecki, Blackwater), 19:28. Penalties - Wilson, Utah (slashing), 16:52.

Third Period -- None. Penalties - Sixsmith, Utah (tripping), 2:21; Mazzolini, Aces (tripping), 2:39; Blackwater, Aces, major (fighting), 11:52; Wilson, Utah, major (fighting), 11:52; Crum, Aces, double minor (roughing), 13:17; McJannet, Utah, double minor (roughing), 13:17.

Shots on goal -- Utah 14-13-12--39. Aces 12-14-10--36.

Power-play Opportunities -- Utah 0 of 4; Aces 0 of 3.

Goalies -- Utah, O'Keefe, 17-11-4 (36 shots-33 saves). Aces, Reid, 12-12-3 (39-37).

A -- 3,924 (6,396). T -- 2:17.

Referee -- Shane Warschaw. Linesmen -- Steve Glines, Chad Colliander.