Lately, it seems like the Alaska Aces have stuck to a template for triumph: Get the lead, get all three lines rolling and scoring, stay stingy on defense and rely on Gerald Coleman to rack a few sensational saves. And repeat.
With the odd exception to that formula, that's basically how they've won four straight hockey games and 10 of their last 11, and gone 19-3-1 in their last 23 games.
And that's how, with Friday night's 4-0 win over the Utah Grizzlies at Sullivan Arena, the Aces have regained the overall lead in the ECHL and moved within one victory of seizing the Western Conference crown and the first-round playoff bye that comes with it.
Coleman continued his recent run of remarkable goaltending by stopping 19 shots to rack his league-leading fourth shutout and his league- leading 28th victory, all while lowering his league-leading goals-against average to 2.25 per game.
While first-line center Brian Swanson (one goal, one assist) and his wingers, Wes Goldie (one goal, one assist) and Scott Howes (two assists) continued to flourish, the Aces also received goals from Kory Falite and Curtis Fraser in a testament to Alaska's depth of secondary scoring.
Falite, a rookie winger, has furnished 16 goals and 41 points in 64 games. Fraser has added 5-8--13 totals in 17 games since arriving from the American Hockey League. And rookie center Dan Kissel, who added an assist Friday, owns 9-11--20 totals in 22 games since being acquired from Gwinnett.
And, remember, rookie forwards Chris Langkow and Tyler Ruegsegger remain up in the AHL.
"That's a great thing to have, three lines that can put up points," Fraser said. "Swanny's line can't do it every night. If they have an off night, there are two lines to back them up.
"We've had balanced scoring and that's the key down the stretch and in the playoffs."
Falite said learning the pro game from veterans like Swanson, a former NHLer, and Goldie, the only player in league history to record five straight seasons of at least 40 goals, is like attending a daily hockey seminar. Plus, he said, the Aces' depth keeps young players hungry, lest they lose their job, even if only temporarily.
"It's a cliche, but you really have to earn your spot because you've got a guy waiting in the stands or whatever to step in," Falite said.
Coleman thinks seeing rookies like Langkow and Ruegsegger summoned to the AHL, one step below the NHL, is another powerful motivation.
"When younger guys see how the older guys do things, they follow their lead," Coleman said. "And guys see Langkow and Ruegsegger go up, and they want to do that."
Coleman, who has considerable AHL experience and two NHL appearances, likewise wants to get back to full-time work in the AHL. Since a nearly three-week stay with AHL Peoria, where he didn't play a minute, he has given the Aces a 7-1-0 record, 1.07 goals-against average and .959 save percentage.
He enjoyed a light workload Friday -- Utah managed one shot in the first 17 minutes of the game and one shot in nearly that identical span of the second period -- but delivered a phenomenal second-period save on Brent Gauvreau.
With Fraser the only Ace back on defense, Gauvreau accepted a lovely cross-ice pass from Matt Clarke and had ample net for his point-blank bid. But Coleman lunged right to left across his crease, stopped the shot with his left wrist and smothered the puck to his body.
"That was ridiculous," Fraser said. "He totally bailed me out. After the play, I said, 'Thanks, bud.' "
Coleman said he didn't realize Gauvreau was coming to his net until the last second.
"Once again, it's good to be 6-5," Coleman said. "Some of it was luck, and some of it was being in position."
Utah goalie Andrew Engelage has put together a terrific season -- 19-12-3, 2.59, .920 -- but has not enjoyed any prosperity against the Aces.
Against the rest of the league, he is 19-9-2, 2.33 and .927 -- fantastic numbers all. But against the Aces, who chased him after building a 3-0 lead less than two minutes into the second period, he is 0-3-1, 5.08 and .850.
Shuffling the deck
Goldie extended his point streak to 13 games, the longest streak in the league this season. He owns 11-11--22 totals and a plus-11 rating in that span.
Swanson extended his point streak to six games - he owns 3-6--9 totals in that stretch.
The Aces improved their league-leading, home-ice record to 24-7-3 and improved to 34-0-0 when they lead after two periods.
Ruegsegger, on loan to the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, kept rolling along on his first AHL promotion. He registered an assist Friday night in a 3-2 shootout loss at Manitoba to give him three assists in three games since being called up. Ruegsegger is plus 2 in three games.
Also, Aces defenseman Russ Sinkewich, loaned this week to Abbotsford, made his Heat debut and went plus 1 with two shots on goal.
Langkow did not play in Peoria's 4-2 home loss to San Antonio.
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
Utah 0 0 0 -- 0
Aces 1 3 0 -- 4
First Period -- 1, Aces, Swanson 24 (Howes, Goldie), 6:56 (pp). Penalties -- Burt, Aces (hooking), 1:09; Guthrie, Utah (tripping), 6:09; Clarke, Utah (holding), 9:03.
Second Period -- 2, Aces, Falite 16 (Swanson, Isherwood), :50; 3, Aces, Fraser 5 (Miller, Cox), 1:47; 4, Aces, Goldie 41 (Howes, Kissel), 8:17. Penalties -- None.
Third Period -- None. Penalties -- Ferguson, Utah, double-minor, served by Grantham (roughing), 16:07.
Shots on goal -- Utah 4-4-11--19. Aces 10-7-10--27.
Power-play Opportunities -- Utah 0 of 1; Aces 1 of 4.
Goalies -- Utah, Engelage, 19-12-5 (12 shots-9 saves); Sims, enter 1:47 2nd period (15-14). Aces, Coleman, 28-14-1 (19-19).
A -- 4,994 (6,396). T -- 2:14.
Referee -- Ryan Murphy. Linesmen -- Steve Glines, Travis Jackson.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com