KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Scott Howes wears No. 13, but Friday night it seemed as if a bull's-eye had been sewn onto the back of his Alaska Aces sweater.
Inside the first 14 minutes in Game 4 of the ECHL's Kelly Cup Finals at Wings Stadium, the Aces' leading playoff scorer clearly served as a target. He absorbed a wicked check into the end boards from Kalamazoo Wings defenseman Mitch Versteeg and was driven to the ice. He was the victim of a boarding penalty from K-Wings winger Brandon Svendsen. And he was again rocked by Versteeg.
The K-Wings can read, and they know Howes missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury. Plus, they are an exceedingly physical club and the ice surface at Wings Stadium is smaller than the Olympic-sized ice at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, so the reduced dimensions amps up their ferocity.
Yet despite being throttled by those hits and playing sparingly after the first period, Howes' fingerprints were all over the Aces' 7-5 victory that put them within one win of hoisting the Kelly Cup. Alaska leads 3-1 in the best-of-7 series.
After that first Versteeg hit, Howes regained his footing and set up linemate Wes Goldie's goal. The penalty against Svendsen gave the Aces a 5-on-3 power play and Howes assisted on defenseman Mark Isherwood's man-advantage strike.
Howes' two helpers extended his playoff scoring streak to all 11 games he has played -- he has delivered 7-12--17 totals in that stretch, which makes him a strong candidate for the playoff's Most Valuable Player award. Friday, Howes fired three shots and finished plus-1, even while knowing he would endure punishment.
Howes shrugged it off -- literally.
"I felt the puck was with me tonight,'' he said. "In a playoff game, the guy with the puck is going to get hit.''
Aces captain Scott Burt, who knows a thing or two about playing hurt, said Howes' performance when he's at less than full health was inspiring.
"He doesn't want to let anyone down,'' Burt said. "Our M.O. is 'Play for each other,' which he does. He stepped in, and it's a pretty good weapon to throw in there.''
Howes, a third-year left winger, said his teammates, particularly veteran linemates Goldie and Brian Swanson, have mentored him with such care that he wants to reward their generosity.
"Guys around me are supportive,'' Howes said. "This time of year you don't want to let them down.''
Howes' return to the lineup bolstered a club that is quite capable without him, but explosive with him. Getting Howes back onto the first line allowed Dan Kissel to return to a line with center Chris Langkow and Curtis Fraser, and bolstered the attack. Howes is so elusive with the puck and possesses such good hands that he can regularly dominate shifts.
"He commands the puck and he always seems to hold it for that split-second you need to get open,'' Goldie said.
Howes played perhaps just three or four shifts in the second period and just two shifts in the third period. Kory Falite took most of the shifts with Swanson and Goldie in the last 40 minutes.
Aces coach Brent Thompson said he wanted to protect the guy Burt called "our best player.''
"I was trying to make sure he was healthy for the rest of the series,'' Thompson said.
Howes is a hockey player, so he wanted to play more. But he said he understood Thompson's motive.
"Could I have played? Yeah, I wanted to,'' Howes said. "But he's my coach, my boss, and obviously he made the right decision.''
Howes' point streak dating back to the regular season has stretched to 17 games. He has produced 7-20--27 totals during that run.
And Friday night he once again showed why his teammates and Thompson believe he's worthy of an opportunity one step up in the American Hockey League.
"He's playing at the wrong level,'' Thompson said. "He's so offensively gifted, and he makes the right play so often.''
Find Doyle Woody's blog at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.
By DOYLE WOODY
dwoody@adn.com