Sports

Aces lose fight-filled game to Wranglers

So much for the Alaska Aces' sensational start -- they'll have to settle for tying the best beginning to a season in the franchise's 15-year history of pro hockey.

A victory Friday night would have propelled the Aces to a franchise-record fifth straight win to open the ECHL season, but the Las Vegas Wranglers derailed that prospect with a 4-3 win over the visiting Aces in Nevada.

Alaska (4-1-0) failed to score on three extended two-man advantages in a fight-filled game -- the teams combined for five bouts and 157 penalty minutes -- and played the last half of the match without captain Scott Burt and agitator Chris Morehouse after those two received game misconducts at Orleans Arena.

Las Vegas (1-2-0), meanwhile, finally broke through for first-year coach Ryan Mougenal and received the go-ahead goal from defenseman Jason Krischuk of Anchorage. First-year Aces bench boss Brent Thompson absorbed his first loss.

The evening began promisingly for the Aces when Burt bagged a short-handed goal, scoring off his own breakaway rebound, less than nine minutes into the game. That marked the Aces' fifth short-handed goal in five games.

The Wranglers countered 80 seconds later on Adam Miller's power-play deflection, yet the Aces moved back ahead 2-1 on Colin Heminway's power-play strike.

Las Vegas used a goal by Andrew Orpik, on another deflection, to forge a 2-2 tie through one period. Second-period goals by Krischuk and Josh Prudden earned the Wranglers a 4-2 cushion in a period that turned wild when several fights broke out about 7 1/2 minutes in after Aces winger Matt Stefanishion was whistled for kneeing.

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When referee J.M. McNulty was done handing out sentences, Burt and Morehouse were done for the night -- each was issued fighting majors and game misconducts. Las Vegas' Justin Bernhardt and Matthew Kang also got the gate for the same infractions.

Through two periods, the teams combined for 30 penalties for 116 minutes of quality time in the box. The infractions and minutes were evenly split.

The Aces closed the gap to 4-3 with a little more than five minutes left when center John Lammers scored his sixth goal in the last four games.

Aces defenseman T.J. Fast did not play because he was on a plane headed to Peoria, Ill., to join the Rivermen after being called up by the American Hockey League club. That allowed defenseman B.J. Crum to make his season debut.

The Aces were also without second-year defenseman Ryan Turek, who injured a shoulder in Thursday's 5-2 win but is not expected to miss much time.

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

Aces 2 0 1 -- 3

Las Vegas 2 2 0 -- 4

First Period -- 1, Aces, Burt 2, 8:44 (sh); 2, Las Vegas, Miller 1 (Switzer), 10:04 (pp); 3, Aces, C. Hemingway 3 (Lammers, Tuzzolino), 16:02 (pp); 4, Las Vegas, Orpik 1 (Watkins, Miller), 16:40. Penalties -- Stefanishion, Aces (high-sticking), 2:00; Bina, Las Vegas (holding the stick), 5:58; Lawrence, Las Vegas (hooking), 6:24; C. Hemingway, Aces (roughing), 8:17; Hagel, Las Vegas, major (fighting), 10:03; Marsh, Aces, major (fighting), 10:03; Stephenson, Las Vegas (hooking), 13:58; Watkins, Las Vegas (slashing), 14:16; Hagel, Las Vegas (roughing), 17:09; Bernhardt, Las Vegas (roughing), 17:09; Burt, Aces, double minor, served by Combs (roughing), 17:09; Marsh, Aces (roughing), 17:09; Watkins, Las Vegas, major (fighting), 18:31; Martin, Aces, major (fighting), 18:31.

Second Period -- 5, Las Vegas, Krischuk 1 (Orpik, Miller), 2:33; 6, Las Vegas, Prudden 1 (Lukacevic, Bina), 8:33 (pp). Penalties -- Berhardt, Las Vegas, major-game misconduct (fighting), 7:28; Kang, Las Vegas, major-game misconduct (fighting), 7:28; Frank, Las Vegas, major (fighting), 7:28; Burt, Aces, major-game misconduct (fighting), 7:28; Morehouse, Aces, major-game misconduct (fighting), 7:28; Stefanishion, Aces (kneeing), 7:28; Tuzzolino, Aces (roughing), 7:28; Miller, Las Vegas (slashing), 10:26; Imbeault, Aces (holding), 15:00.

Third Period -- 7, Aces, Lammers 6 (Tuzzolino, Martin), 14:30. Penalties -- Hagel, Las Vegas, minor-major (high-sticking, fighting), 4:53; Peluso, Aces, minor-major (slashing, fighting), 4:53; Schwarz, Las Vegas (roughing), 10:26; Watkins, Las Vegas (interference), 11:04; Miller, Aces (interference), 11:28; Stephenson, Las Vegas, minor-major (boarding, fighting), 15:27; Marsh, Aces, major (fighting), 15:27; Martin, Aces (interference), 15:27; Stefanishion, Aces (elbowing), 17:24.

Shots on goal -- Aces 11-8-10--29. Las Vegas 7-19-4--30.

Power-play Opportunities -- Aces 1 of 10; Las Vegas 2 of 7.

Goalies -- Aces, Dahm, 3-1-1 (30 shots-26 saves). Las Vegas, Ouzas, 1-1-0 (29-26).

A -- 3,372 (7,773). T -- 2:44.

Referee -- J.M. McNulty. Linesmen -- Todd Owen, Carl Saden.

By DOYLE WOODY

dwoody@adn.com

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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