Aces down Utah 4-0

With Utah's net empty, victory secure, the puck on his stick blade and his linemate already with two goals in the bag, Alaska Aces winger Matt Ambroz knew what hockey's unwritten rules and good karma dictated.

Jordan Kremyr was getting the puck.

Ambroz fed his fellow rookie and Kremyr, who entered with one goal in 10 games, fired into a yawning net to secure his first hat trick since playing junior hockey and give the ECHL leaders a 4-0 win Friday night over the Utah Grizzlies at Sullivan Arena.

"Before you go out there, you think, 'If I get the puck and Kremyr's out there, he's getting the puck,' " Ambroz said. "It's one of those things most guys do as a team thing.

"I was really excited he had two goals -- he's been playing great -- and I wanted him to get his hat trick.''

The Aces (17-4-2) used Kremyr's hat trick and Gerald Coleman's 26 saves, which marked his league-leading third shutout, to beat the Grizzlies (13-8-1) for the second straight game and run their hot streak to 11 games.

That's how long it has been since the Aces have lost in regulation and their 9-0-2 run ties for the fourth-longest unbeaten streak in the franchise's nine seasons in the ECHL.

Alaska has won four straight games, and with 36 points is four points ahead of Las Vegas (14-6-4), which has played one more game, for first place overall in the 20-team league.

For Kremyr, who couldn't crack the Aces' deep lineup early in the season, prosperity will not be taken for granted. Call-ups to the American Hockey League and injuries have thinned the Aces' depth at forward, and they've also furnished Kremyr opportunity.

"Little bit of right place, right time,'' said Aces coach Rob Murray.

Kremyr (pronounced Kremm-urr), who played four seasons at Providence College, said doesn't consider his place in the lineup secure.

"To be honest, no,'' he said. "It's a dog-eat-dog world and you have to earn your spot every night. What's that saying -- 'What have you done for me lately?' "

The Aces led 3-0 in the late going, courtesy of two goals from Kremyr and one from Wes Goldie, when the Grizzlies pulled goalie Andrew Engelage for a sixth attacker.

Aces center Ethan Cox got the puck to Ambroz on right wing at the Alaska blue line. He quickly passed it cross-ice to Kremyr, who fired from the Utah blue line. That capped a strong two games from the line of Cox, Kremyr and Ambroz, who have been matched against the Grizzlies' top line the last two games and held it off the score sheet.

The goals were a bonus.

After Goldie gave the Aces a 1-0 lead by scoring on a Kane Lafranchise rebound and notching his sixth goal in the last eight games, Kremyr struck short-handed.

Defenseman Brandon Gentile led the 2-on-1, waiting until Utah center Blair Yaworski slid out of the play trying to block his pass and dished a pass to Kremyr, who beat Engelage high to the glove side from close range. That gave the Aces a 2-0 edge less than nine minutes into the game.

Kremyr added his second goal early in the third period, going to the blue paint and hammering in a rebound after Ambroz tipped Lafranchise's shot.

"That's what coach needs out of our line, big bodies like Ambroz and I getting to the net,'' Kremyr said.

A groin injury in training camp kept Kremyr from showing Murray and his coaching crew what he could do. But with Scott Howes and Tyler Ruegsegger up in the AHL, and Zach Harrison hurt, Kremyr has stepped in nicely. He has scored four goals in 11 games and been a plus 7.

"He's taken advantage of his opportunity and made the most of it,'' Murray said. "He's shown what we needed to see.''

What Kremyr has delivered, Murray said, is responsible defense, a willingness to hit and an ability to maintain puck possession low in the offensive zone.

Coleman, meanwhile, keeps looking like he did last season, when he was the league's Goaltender of the Year. He owns a league-best 14 wins, the circuit's second-best goals-against average (1.82) and fourth-best save percentage (.931). And he's making it look easy, steering shots into the corners and rarely surrendering rebounds.

"If I can just control rebounds, it makes the game easier for me,'' Coleman said. "And the D trusts me, and they don't have to go chasing pucks and getting tired.''

And so it goes for the Aces, who have not lost in regulation since Nov. 12 and have secured 20 of a possible 22 points in the last 11 games.

"I don't think we've played our best game yet,'' Coleman said. "Once we can figure out how we can all bring it every night, we could be scary.''

Shuffling the deck

A couple of Aces got dinged in the face Friday.

Gentile got hit by a puck in the third period, which left his bottom from teeth loose and gave him a fat lower lip.

Forward Jacques Lamoureux, the former Air Force sniper who is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and was signed by the team Friday, took an elbow to the face from Utah's Riley Emmerson in the last minute and received a bloody nose. Emmerson was issued a major penalty and game misconduct.

Goldie has at least one point in four straight games, with 4-2--6 totals in that span.

Defenseman Steve Ward, who leads the league in plus-minus at plus 17, played his 300th regular season professional game. Winger Garry Nunnplayed his 100th regular season pro game.

Utah has surrendered a league-high eight short-handed goals.

Since early last February, the Aces have gone 52-9-3 in their last 64 games.

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

Utah 0 0 0 -- 0

Aces 2 0 2 -- 4

First Period -- 1, Aces, Goldie 9 (Lafranchise, Swanson), 4:55; 2, Aces, Kremyr 2 (Gentile), 8:41 (sh). Penalties -- Bruton, Aces, minor-major (roughing, fighting), 7:35; Tuzzolino, Utah, major (fighting), 7:35.

Second Period -- None. Penalties -- Gentile, Aces (hooking), 2:03; Cox, Aces (kneeing), 7:59; Severyn, Utah (tripping), 13:06; Ambroz, Aces (roughing), 17:34; Martin, Utah (roughing), 17:34.

Third Period -- 3, Aces, Kremyr 3 (Ambroz, Lafranchise), 2:43; 4, Aces, Kremyr 4 (Ambroz, Cox), 18:58 (en). Penalties -- Cullity, Utah (slashing), :30; Emmerson, Utah, major-game misconduct (elbowing), 19:24; Lafranchise, Aces (hooking), 19:45; Lampl, Utah (misconduct), 19:45.

Shots on goal -- Utah 13-2-11--26. Aces 11-7-8--26.

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

Goalies -- Utah, Engelage, 10-7-0 (25 shots-22 saves). Aces, Coleman, 14-3-1 (26-26).

A -- 3,998 (6,399). T -- 2:16.

Referee -- Curtis Marouelli. Linesmen -- Scott Sivulich, Travis Jackson.