Steelheads sweep Aces with another shootout victory

Idaho beat Alaska in extra time for the third straight night Friday, earning a 4-3 shootout win at CenturyLink Arena in Boise after rallying from a two-goal, third-period deficit, killing a penalty in overtime and winning the skills contest.

The Steelheads' sixth straight ECHL victory came after they won 3-2 in overtime Thursday and 4-3 in a shootout Wednesday -- they won that shootout 2-1, just as they did in Friday's series finale.

Friday's game marked the fourth straight between the teams to extend beyond regulation -- Idaho (15-12-3) racked a 1-0 OT win in Boise on Nov. 19.

Still, the Aces (20-5-5) on Friday not only earned at least a point in the standings for the fourth straight game (1-0-3), they also set a club record by generating their 11th straight road game with at least a point (6-0-5). That tops the 2005-06 and 2004-05 clubs, both of which generated 10-game road streaks (both 9-0-1) in which they delivered at least a point in every game.

Franchise record aside, though, the Aces, by their recent standards, have proved vulnerable when heading into the third period with a lead.

In the regular season and playoffs last season, the Aces went an astounding 49-0-0 when leading after two periods. And although they are 16-0-3 in such circumstances this season, they have blown third-period leads three times in the last 12 games and been fed a shootout loss in all three matches.

Friday night's Alaska power play in overtime didn't convert, just as the Aces failed to convert an overtime power play in Wednesday's shootout loss.

The Aces took a 3-1 lead into the third period Friday, but Kael Mouillierat and Chad Klassen scored goals on rebounds 2:28 apart inside the opening eight minutes of the third to knot the game 3-3.

Idaho goaltender Jerry Kuhn continued to puzzle the Aces. He stopped 35 shots in regulation and overtime Friday, and turned back 123 of 131 shots (.939 save percentage) in the series. Kuhn stopped four of Alaska's five shootout bids Friday -- Brian Swanson scored for the Aces -- just as he did Wednesday.

Idaho is 5-1 in post- overtime skills contests this season to lead the circuit in shootout victories.

Aces goaltender Adam Courchaine stopped 25 shots in regulation and OT, and surrendered shootout goals to Aaron Lewadniuk and Jacob Cepis, Idaho's first two shooters.

Idaho opened the scoring about three minutes into the game when Mouillierat scored a spectacular and seldom-seen goal -- stationed behind the Alaska net, he cradled the puck on his stick blade and reached forward to slip it past Courchaine's right shoulder. That move is commonly called a lacrosse shot and was made famous by Michigan's Mike Legg, who used it in overtime to eliminate Minnesota from 1996 NCAA tournament.

The Aces countered later in the period when veteran defenseman Bryan Miller found Dan Kissel low in the left circle and threaded a pass that allowed Kissel to shoot it behind Kuhn and generate a 1-1 tie.

Chris Bruton gave Alaska a 2-1 lead four minutes into the second period when his pass intended for Zach Harrison ricocheted off Steelheads defenseman Derek Matheson, who scored Thursday's OT goal, and into the net. Kissel's deflection of Miller's power-play shot later in the period furnished the Aces a 3-1 lead that marked the first two-goal spread in the series.

But Idaho, playing before a strong holiday crowd of 4,296 in a building that seats 5,006, made short work of that deficit.

Shuffling the deck

The Aces are scheduled to return home today and will regather Tuesday for a 5 p.m. practice.

Next up is a three-game series at Sullivan Arena, starting Wednesday night, that matches the league's top two teams. Alaska, which leads the standings with 45 points in 30 games, entertains the Colorado Eagles (18-8-3), who are second overall with 39 points in 29 games and are riding an 11-game unbeaten streak (9-0-2) after thumping visiting and depleted Utah, 6-0, on Friday night

Kissel's two-goal game was his team-leading fourth of the season and gives him 15 goals, tying Wes Goldie for the team lead. Kissel, who fired a game-high seven shots on goal, owns a four-game point streak in which he has furnished 4-3--7 totals.

Miller's two assists extended his point streak to four games -- he has 1-5--6 totals in that span.

Goldie's assist also stretched his point streak to four games, with 3-5--8 totals.

Alaska is 12-0-4 in its last 16 games against Idaho, dating back to last season.

Courchaine has not lost in regulation in his last eight starts (5-0-3).

Second-year center Ethan Cox sat out with an upper-body injury. Through 30 games, nine different Aces, including forward/defenseman Alex Dzielski, who suffered a preseason shoulder injury that required surgery, have missed a total of 72 games because of injuries. Players have missed an additional seven games -- Goldie and Cox each served two-game, league-imposed suspensions and defenseman Brandon Gentile missed three games with illness.

Idaho defenseman Brent Cornelius of Fairbanks assisted on both of Mouillierat's goals.

---

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

Idaho wins shootout 2-1

Aces 1 2 0 0 -- 3

Idaho 1 0 2 1 -- 4

First Period -- 1, Idaho, Mouillierat 13 (Cornelius), 3:18; 2, Aces, Kissel 14 (Miller, Swanson), 14:09. Penalties -- Hobbins, Idaho, major (fighting), 8:30; Ambroz, Aces, major (fighting), 8:30; Hepp, Idaho (slashing), 9:01; Harrison, Aces (hooking), 11:47; Matheson, Idaho (hooking), 7:35.

Second Period -- 3, Aces, Bruton 6 (Anderson, Kremyr), 4:10; 4, Aces, Kissel 15 (Goldie, Miller), 15:09 (pp). Penalties -- Lowe, Idaho (delay of game-puck over glass), 1:26; Lewadniuk, Idaho (slashing), 4:24; Kremyr, Aces (goaltender interference), 6:34; Nunn, Aces (tripping), 12:19; Hepp, Idaho (holding), 14:21.

Third Period -- 5, Idaho, Mouillierat 14 (Klassen, Cornelius), 5:16; 6, Idaho, Klassen 12 (Hepp), 7:44. Penalties -- Hobbins, Idaho (roughing), 2:10.

Overtime -- None. Penalties -- Hepp, Idaho (hooking), 1:00.

Shootout -- Idaho 2 (Lewadniuk G, Cepis G, Rancourt NG, LeBlanc NG), Aces 1 (Miller NG, Swanson G, Goldie NG, Kissel NG, Nunn NG).

Shots on goal -- Aces 8-14-9-7--38. Idaho 7-11-7-3--28.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 1 of 7. Idaho 0 of 3.

Goalies -- Aces, Courchaine, 5-1-3 (28 shots-25 saves). Idaho, Kuhn, 10-8-3) (38-35).

A -- 4,296 (5,006). T -- 2:28.

Referee -- Joe Sullivan. Linesmen -- Scott DeBaugh, Ryan Daisy.