In four recent hockey games in Las Vegas, the Alaska Aces did not exactly get the drop on their hosts at the drop of the puck.
The Wranglers outshot the Aces in the first period of all those ECHL games for a combined 46-29 advantage. And Saturday night's match was the most lopsided in first-period salvos -- Las Vegas unloaded the first 12 shots of the game.
Yet in each instance, the Aces hit their dressing room for the first intermission in great shape -- three times they led, and once they were engaged in a scoreless tie. They also won all four games to all but eliminate the Wranglers from the race for the Western Conference crown.
The common denominator was a dominator -- veteran Aces goaltender Gerald Coleman.
"He gave us time to wake up,'' said Aces defenseman Chad Anderson. "He's been prepared. It was like, 'OK, guys, I'm here, go do your job at the other end.' And that gives us confidence.''
Coleman, who allowed just two goals on those combined 46 first- period shots, has been nearly invincible since returning earlier this month from a nearly three-week stint with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League.
In seven games since returning, Coleman has gone 6-1-0 with a 1.23 goals-against average and .954 save percentage. His lone loss in that stretch was really just a statistical bummer -- Coleman came on in relief of rookie Adam Courchaine in Bakersfield and stopped 16 of 17 shots, but the only goal he surrendered in the 4-3 loss was the Condors' fourth, so he got tagged with the L.
Overall, Coleman is 27-14-1 and tied for the league lead in wins. His 2.31 goals-against average leads the circuit, he is tied for the lead in shutouts with three, ranks third in minutes played (2,496) and sits 12th in save percentage (.910).
"I just think he's mentally focused,'' said Aces coach Brent Thompson. "He saw what it's like in Peoria, and he wants to be back in the AHL. He believes he can play there again, and so do I.
"There were several times on the (recent five-game road) trip when we didn't play well for a little stretch of a game and he definitely made saves to keep us going, and he generated momentum for us.''
Though the Aces lead the league in fewest shots allowed, surrendering an average of just 25.95 per game, Coleman said he didn't mind those active first periods in Sin City.
"It's nice to get a lot of shots early, especially on the road, because sometimes at home I can go five or 10 minutes without a shot,'' Coleman said. "For me, with a lot of early shots, I'm in the game and I know what it takes. I just need to keep the score down until the boys get going.''
Though he did not play in any games for Peoria, Coleman said he had plenty of time to work with strength and conditioning coach Evan Levy, which allowed him to address some groin and hip issues that had been bothering him slightly.
The 6-foot-5 backstop also improved his diet and said he's at his optimal weight of 210 pounds -- if he gets up around 215, he feels sluggish, and if he gets down to 205 he feels weak. At 210, though, Coleman said he feels strong and quick, which is how he and the Aces, who have won nine of their last 10 games, have appeared of late.
"I got healthy, the team's playing well and we're confident,'' Coleman said. "Even when we're not playing well, we're finding ways to win.''
Coleman said he has been energized by the Aces' late-season streaking -- Alaska is 18-3-1 in its last 22 games, has already claimed the Mountain Division title and is closing in on a Western Conference crown. Plus, Thompson, who even in the preseason said he expected Coleman to be his go-to goalie, has faith in the sixth-year pro, who has two NHL appearances and 80 AHL appearances on his rink resume.
"He's shown confidence in me, and that gives me confidence,'' Coleman said. "If you make a mistake, you're not looking at the bench.''
Shuffling the deck
The Aces now sit second overall in the 19-team ECHL after Greenville leapfrogged them Thursday night with a 5-2 win over visiting Reading, which is third in the league.
Greenville was buoyed by 28 saves from former Aces goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu -- he helped the Aces to the 2006 Kelly Cup -- and improved to 88 points, one more than the Aces. Reading owns 85 points.
But the Aces have six games left to Greenville's four and Reading's five.
The Aces have picked up defenseman Bryant Molle of Anchorage, a 6-foot-3, 214-pounder who earlier this month finished his college career at UAF. He earned 2-4--6 totals in 38 games this season. Molle, 23, a civil engineering major with a 3.94 grade-point average was UAF's CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year and expects to graduate with his degree this spring.
Molle comes from a hockey family. His dad, Tim Molle, was a Division II All-America defenseman at UAA in the early 80s and played five seasons in the International Hockey League when it was one step below the NHL. His older brother, Dustin Molle, played briefly at UAA before three seasons at UAF and is currently a rookie defenseman for Fort Wayne of the Central Hockey League. And his sister Candace Molle is a defenseman at North Dakota.
Rookie winger Jerad Stewart was held out of practice Thursday -- he's been experiencing headaches -- and won't play tonight. Stewart has twice suffered concussions this season. Figure on defenseman Alex Dzielski moving up to the wing tonight and getting spot shifts as the Aces' 10th forward.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
How the West could be won tonight
The Alaska Aces can win the ECHL's Western Conference tonight if a hat trick of outcomes happens -- if the Aces beat Utah, Bakersfield loses to visiting Las Vegas in regulation and Stockton loses in any manner to visiting Victoria.
Possibilities are myriad, of course, down the stretch run, but here's the bottom line: If the Aces secure five of the 12 points they have left on the table, nothing can prevent them from winning the conference and a first-round playoff bye.
The league's first tie-breaker is non-shootout wins, which heavily favors the Aces:
Non-SO
Team Record Pts G Left wins
Alaska 42-21-3 87 6 40
Bakersfield 38-25-3 79 6 34
Stockton 34-22-10 78 6 28
Las Vegas 36-25-5 77 6 31
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com