Sports

Lundstrom's improvement coincides with Aces' gains

Coming off their second extended layoff already this season -- this latest hiatus between hockey games stretched 12 days -- the Alaska Aces aren't the fragile team that earlier stumbled so hard they lost seven of their first eight hockey games.

The ECHL club's upswing -- three straight wins and four victories in the last five games -- has coincided with rookie goaltender Niklas Lundstrom's emergence, just as his early-season struggles mirrored the team's difficulties.

Lundstrom in a three-game sweep of visiting Stockton two weeks ago stopped 64 of 68 shots. His overall statistics remain modest -- 5-6-0 record, 3.18 goals-against average and .881 save percentage -- but he's cleaned up his play. Against the Thunder, he didn't surrender the kind of soft goals that plagued him regularly earlier in the season and he also largely stopped surrendering enticing rebounds.

Lundstrom said he has communicated regularly with his long-time goalie coach back home in Sweden, who encouraged him to move slightly farther out of his crease and buoyed him emotionally by telling him to trust himself. He also thinks his team's improved play has helped him smooth some rough edges.

"The team really played well the last three games, so it's easier for me to play,'' Lundstrom said. "I'm trying to play my game. The bounces didn't go the team's way or my way (early).

"But our team is playing better. Everyone has stepped up and we're playing better together.''

Aces coach Rob Murray said a few wins have helped Lundstrom's morale.

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"I think he's found a bit of confidence, and that goes a long ways,'' Murray said. "As a goalie, you've got to make the run-of-the-mill saves and know you'll face -- depending on how the team's playing -- four or five or more situations where you have to make the spectacular save, and he's done that.''

This is the first season in North America for Lundstrom, 21, who is a fifth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, so he's adjusting to a new country, a new environment and a new team -- all while trying to make an impression on the Blues.

"You always want to win,'' he said. "I put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to be the best. I know I can be that guy, the difference between winning and losing. It was tough early, when I wasn't playing well.''

Lundstrom said he's feeling more comfortable with the city and with his new team, and his long-time girlfriend joined him in Anchorage a few weeks ago.

Now, he said, his aim is to help the Aces keep improving and rebounding from their shaky start.

"This is a winning business,'' Lundstrom said. "You have to win to look good. If you don't win, you don't look good.''

Shuffling the deck

Winger Bryan Cameron, who has missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury, is back practicing regularly.

Newcomer forward Ryan Walters, who is likely to make his Aces debut Friday after being assigned here from the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, will wear No. 15.

Idaho features three Alaska connections. Goaltender Olivier Roy, who helped the Aces to the Kelly Cup last June, is 8-4-0 with a 2.21 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. Former Aces winger Alex Belzile, also a member of the Kelly Cup-winning crew, owns 6-9—15 totals and a plus-8 rating in 15 games. And former UAF winger Colton Beck, a rookie, has delivered 4-8—12 totals and a plus-6 rating in 15 games.

Idaho entered Thursday ranked 27th of 28 ECHL teams in power-play efficiency (9.5 percent) and 25th in penalty-killing efficiency (79.1 percent), yet was tied for the fifth-best winning percentage (.676) on the circuit. The only other two teams that rank in the bottom five in both special-teams categories -- South Carolina (4-9-4) and Missouri (6-8-0) -- entered Thursday a combined 10-17-4 (.387 winning percentage).

Idaho is one of the league's best road teams with a 6-1-1 mark. The Steelheads are 5-4-0 at home.

Collection bins will be stationed at entrances to Sullivan Arena both Friday and Saturday nights for a canned food drive to benefit the food pantry at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable canned foods, and cash donations also will be accepted.

Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr

Idaho Steelheads (11-5-1) at Alaska Aces (6-9-0)

Friday and Saturday nights, Sullivan Arena, 7:15 p.m.

Radio: Live AM-750 and FM-103.7 KFQD

Doyle Woody

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

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