Aces can't solve Idaho's Kuhn

Dating back to last season, the Aces have also earned at least one point in 15 straight games (12-0-3) against their Mountain Division rivals.

And, hey, the defending Kelly Cup champions (20-5-4) still lead the 20-team circuit -- they own a six-point edge on the Colorado Eagles, who come to Anchorage for a three-game series next week.

On the downside, the Aces have got a goaltending problem on their hands, and it isn't that reigning league Goaltender of the Year Gerald Coleman is shelved with an upper-body injury.

The dilemma the Aces face is how to crack Steelheads rookie goalie Jerry Kuhn, who reaped his rink reward when defenseman Derek Matheson roofed Marc Rancourt's pass past Aces goalie Adam Courchaine (20 saves) with just 52 seconds left in extra time.

Turning Kuhn's crease into a shooting gallery has not been the answer for the Aces the last two nights. Thursday, the former Western Michigan netminder who gave the Aces some fits in the playoffs last season, stopped 47 shots. That virtuoso performance came one night after Kuhn stopped 41 shots in regulation and overtime, then snuffed four of five Alaska shooters to backstop a 4-3 shootout win.

Kuhn is also the guy who stopped 30 shots at CenturyLink Arena on Nov. 19, when Idaho won 1-0 in overtime. In four games against the Aces this season, Kuhn is 3-1-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .934 save percentage.

Not that Kuhn's treatment of the Aces is limited to this season. While the Aces swept a playoff series from the Steelheads in four games last spring, no one could pin the rap on Kuhn -- he furnished a 2.26 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in that series, when his teammates scored a whopping two goals.

Thursday, the Aces needed nearly two and a half periods to crack Kuhn.

Wes Goldie deflected Danny Markowitz's shot from the right point, and his team- leading 15th goal, seven minutes into the third period, countered Marc Rancourt's second- period strike and forged a 1-1 tie.

The goal marked Goldie's eighth in the last eight games and 12th in the last 14 games. It was also the 350th goal of his ECHL career, which leaves him just 18 shy of tying Rod Taylor's record for most goals in an ECHL career.

But the Steelheads (14-12-2), who have won five straight games and six of their last seven, needed less than two minutes to regain the lead. Patrick Kennedy scored on a rebound to give Idaho a 2-1 edge.

With about three minutes left in regulation, though, Aces center Nick Mazzolini scored off a Goldie rebound to create a 2-2 deadlock. The Aces and Steelheads went to extra time for their third straight meeting.

Coleman watched all that in street clothes, as he will again tonight in the series finale. The Aces said Coleman, who leads the league with 15 wins, will be re-evaluated after the team returns home on Saturday for the holiday break.

Shuffling the deck

This is the third time in nine ECHL seasons they Aces have gained at least one point in 10 straight road games.

The 2005-06 Kelly Cup-winning club enjoyed a 9-0-1 road run, as did the 2004-05 team.

Courchaine, who is 5-1-2 overall, has not suffered a regulation loss in his last seven games (5-0-2). His other overtime loss came in that 1-0 loss in Boise, when he stopped 25 of 26 shots. In two seasons with the Aces, Courchaine's regular-season record is a sparkling 22-8-3.

Goldie has scored points in 12 of the last 14 games and owns 12-9--21 totals in that span.

Garry Nunn's five-game point streak was snapped.

Defenseman Bryan Miller, who has four points in the last three games and had an assist Thursday, owns 4-15--19 totals that ties him for fourth in points among league defensemen and ties him for second in assists among blueliners.

While the Steelheads mustered just 23 shots Thursday, Alaska's first line of Goldie (five shots), Brian Swanson (five) and Dan Kissel (six) combined for 16 shots.

Rookie wing Jordan Kremyr was a scratch, and Zach Harrison was back in the lineup after being a scratch Wednesday.

Ten of Idaho's 28 games have gone to extra time. The Steelheads are 3-2 in overtime and 4-1 in shootouts.

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

Aces 0 0 2 0 -- 2

Idaho 1 0 1 1 -- 3

First Period -- 1, Idaho, Rancourt 5 (Scoran, Matheson), 13:10 (pp). Penalties -- Kuhn, Idaho, (delay of game-restricted area), 2:56; Kissel, Aces (hooking), 6:30; Goldie, Aces (contact to head), 8:37; Ward, Aces (tripping), 12:09; Hepp, Idaho, double-minor, served by Lewadniuk (roughing), 20:00; Anderson, Aces (roughing), 20:00.

Second Period -- None. Penalties -- Harrison, Aces (interference), 8:47; Bruton, Aces (slashing), 10:22; LeBlanc, Idaho (roughing), 14:35.

Third Period -- 2, Aces, Goldie 15 (Markowitz, Kissel), 7:04; 3, Idaho, Kennedy 2 (Neal, Purves), 8:47; 4, Aces, Mazzolini 9 (Goldie, Miller), 16:54. Penalties -- None.

Overtime -- 5, Idaho, Matheson 2 (Rancourt), 4:08. Penalties -- None.

Shots on goal -- Aces 13-15-17-4--49. Idaho 10-4-6-3--23.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 0 of 3. Idaho 1 of 5.

Goalies -- Aces, Courchaine, 5-1-2 (23 shots-20 saves). Idaho, Kuhn, 9-8-3 (49-47).

A -- 2,527 (5,006). T -- 2:18.

Referee -- Joe Sullivan. Linesmen -- Ryan Daisy, Andrew Wetzel.