Winners of six straight hockey games and 10 of their last 11, the Alaska Aces play at Phoenix tonight (6:05 ADT, 700-AM KBYR) with the aim of maintaining separation from their pursuers in the race for the ECHL's West Division crown.
Tonight's game kicks off the Aces' last eight regular-season games, all of which take place in hostile barns. By comparison, the Idaho Steelheads, who have played two fewer games than the Aces, play their last seven games at home. The Victoria Salmon Kings, meanwhile, still have three more home matches left, but end the campaign with four straight roadies.
The Aces have sizzled of late in large part because all three of their foward lines are legitimate scoring threats. Also, defenseman Matt Shasby has merely racked at least one assist in 13 straight games, the longest such streak in the league this season. Winger Cam Keith has bagged points in six straight. And the Aces' league-leading, penalty-killing crew, spearheaded by shutdown defenseman Derick Martin, has snuffed 64 of 65 opposing power plays in the last 16 games.
The wild, wild west Team Record Points Games Remaining (Home, Road) Alaska Aces 40-21-3 83 8 (0 home, 8 road) Idaho Steelheads 37-21-4 78 10 (7 home, 3 road) Victoria Salmon Kings 34-24-7 75 7 (3 home, 4 road)
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com