Glorious goaltending is critical in playoff hockey, and Gerald Coleman has delivered that for the Alaska Aces.
Still, family trumps the job, which is why Coleman will miss Saturday's Game 3 of the upcoming ECHL Western Conference Finals against the Victoria Salmon Kings to attend his maternal grandfather's funeral in the Chicago area the same day.
Coleman, the league Goaltender of the Year who surrendered just two goals in a four-game sweep of Idaho, said his grandfather, Burton Wright, died Sunday at age 98.
Coleman, who said he was extremely close to his grandfather, will play Wednesday night's Game 1 and Thursday night's Game 2 at Sullivan Arena before traveling Friday to Chicago to join his mother and sister for the funeral.
"For me, the best thing now is playing, to keep my mind off it,'' Coleman said.
Coleman said he appreciated the support from the Aces and coach Brent Thompson, who encouraged him to attend the funeral.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coleman and his family,'' Thompson said. "I told Gerald, 'The most important thing is family' and he needs to be with his family.''
Depending on travel arrangements, Coleman could arrive in Victoria in time for Monday's Game 4.
Coleman posted a 0.50 goals-against average in four wins over the Steelheads, delivered a .979 save percentage and racked two shutouts.
In Coleman's absence, rookie Adam Courchaine will get the start in Game 3. Courchaine in the regular season went 17-7-2 for the Aces, with a 2.39 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and four shutouts -- the four bagels tied Coleman for the league lead. Courchaine last played March 30, when he stopped 21 shots in a 4-2 win at Victoria, and went 12-1-1 in his last 14 decisions.
"I think Adam Courchaine is a No. 1 on any other team and I feel good about putting him in there,'' Thompson said.
Thompson said he'll make one lineup change for the series opener against Victoria, using defenseman Daryl Boyle, recently sent to the team from the Peoria Rivermen, Alaska's American Hockey League affiliate. Thompson said Boyle will likely take the place of ECHL All-Rookie defenseman Mark Isherwood.
Both Boyle, a third-year pro, and Isherwood are right-handed defensemen with cannonading shots that make them particularly dangerous on the power play. Thompson said the lineup change is not a reflection on Isherwood's play, which he lauded -- the rookie furnished a power-play goal and power-play assist in a 3-1 Game 3 win at Idaho -- but a nod to Boyle's 176 games of AHL time.
"You get a guy with that AHL experience, AHL power-play experience, and poise, you've got to get him in the lineup,'' Thompson said. "It's just the nature of the beast.
"We're going with a little older, more experienced group on the back end. But, Ish, at some point, will play in this series.''
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com