The Alaska Aces' situation wasn't terrible, but it was far from terrific -- they faced a two-goal deficit against the Bakersfield Condors early in the second period Friday night.
Then Olivier Archambault happened.
And 5 minutes, 4 seconds later the Aces owned a one-goal lead they never surrendered in a 5-3 ECHL victory before an announced crowd of 4,013 at Sullivan Arena.
Rookie goaltender Niklas Lundstrom delivered a season-high 36 saves, Ryan Walters made his first goal as an Ace a pivotal strike -- his short-handed marker in the opening minute of the third period gained Alaska a 4-2 lead -- and the Aces (12-13-0) finally got their moribund power play unshackled.
Yet it was Archambault, the rookie sniper, who changed the complexion of a hockey game that was played at a much quicker pace than Alaska's 6-1 win over Bakersfield on Wednesday. He scored two goals and delivered a principal assist in that five-minute span when the Aces transformed a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
"He took over,'' said Aces coach Rob Murray. "He was the difference.''
Bakersfield led 2-0 courtesy of Ryan Watson's first-period goal born of persistence and Josh Currie's goal two minutes into the second period before Archambault and his linemates, winger Raphael Bussieres and center Greg Wolfe, emerged.
"The puck just went in,'' Archambault said. "Our line played a good game. I like playing with Bussieres and Wolfe -- they work hard, make plays and get me the puck.''
Bussieres (two assists) kick-started the rally by stripping Condors defenseman Graeme Craig of the puck in the Bakersfield zone and feeding Archambault, whose shot from the slot beat Frans Tuohimaa (19 saves) and snapped a four-game goal slump that was his longest drought of the season.
Archambault then fed Wolfe for a game-tying power-play goal from the left circle that soothed a man-advantage unit that had converted twice in 33 chances through the last eight-plus games.
Wolfe scored during a delayed penalty that afforded the Aces, who have won seven straight home games, another power play. This time, Archambault blew through the neutral zone, entered the Condors zone 1 on 2 and rifled a wrister over Tuohimaa's glove and off the crossbar as he fell to the ice.
"I just shot the puck. It was fun,'' Archambault said. "You don't get to score a goal like that every day.''
Archambault's three-point night gives him 15-12—27 totals in 25 games. He ranks tied for fifth on the circuit in points and second among rookies, and is tied for fourth overall in goals and is second among first-year goal scorers.
"He's skilled,'' Murray said. "Sometimes it gets him in trouble when he tries to do too much, but it also allows him to make plays. That second goal was amazing.''
Wolfe likewise enjoyed a three-point game -- his one goal and two helpers marked his second straight three-point night. With 11-15—26 totals in 25 games, he's tied for 10th in the league in points and ranks third among rookies in points.
Bussieres has generated 1-7—8 totals in six games since being assigned to the Aces from Iowa of the American Hockey League.
Bakersfield (14-12-3) did not succumb easily. Instead, the Condors generated tremendous push-back that Lundstrom withstood. He made 28 saves in the last two periods of what marked his best performance on home ice this season.
"Because I made a lot of big saves?'' the Swede said with a grin, glib in his second language.
After the Aces seized their 3-2 lead, Lundstrom in the second period used his blocker to deny Jonathan Lessard's breakaway bid and snapped his glove on Lessard's glorious chance from the low slot. He stopped 13 shots in the third period, including Currie's point-blank chance. Another Bakersfield shot was tipped, Lundstrom said, and glanced off him and the iron.
"Sometimes you have to have luck,'' Lundstrom said. "You earn your luck.''
Murray said Lundstrom's work proved critical after the Aces took the lead in the second period.
"There was a stretch there, he saved our ass because we didn't defend well,'' Murray said. "Those things happen, but he was there to answer.''
Shuffling the deck
Walters' short-handed goal was Alaska's third this season and the first by someone other than center Chris Francis. Walters deftly used his skate to control Wolfe's breakaway pass and withstood a slash from Nick Pageau before his wrister leaked through Tuohimaa.
Archambault and Wolfe have prospered against the Condors. Archambault owns 7-6—13 totals in seven games against Bakersfield and Wolfe owns 5-6—11 totals in seven games.
Center Tim Coffman, who hasn't scored a goal in 19 games, though he has 16 assists in that span, was a healthy scratch. Rookie center Ryan Tesink returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an upper-body injury.
Bakersfield owns a 4-3-0 edge in the season series with Alaska entering Saturday night's season finale before the holiday break. After that, the Aces next play on New Year's Eve, when they entertain the Utah Grizzlies in the opener of a three-game series.
Bakersfield coach J.F. Houle pulled Tuohimaa for an extra attacker with 3:43 left. Bussieres nearly scored into an empty net -- Bakersfield defenseman Gabriel Verpaelst dove face-first to block the shot -- before defenseman Colten Hayes scored an empty-net goal with .1 second left.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Bakersfield 1 1 0 -- 2
Aces 0 3 2 -- 5
First Period – 1, Bakersfield, Watson 1, 17:49. Penalties – Nash, Bakersfield (hooking), 7:10; Baldwin, Aces, major (fighting), 10:17; Abney, Bakersfield, major (fighting), 10:17; Nash, Bakersfield (interference), 12:16; Hayes, Aces (delay of game), 14:51; K. Jones, Bakersfield (tripping), 17:56.
Second Period – 2, Bakersfield, Currie 6 (Schraber, Sylvestre), 1:55; 3, Aces, Archambault 14 (Bussieres, Syvret), 4:08; 4, Aces, Wolfe 11 (Archambault, Bussieres), 7:36 (pp); 5, Aces, Archambault 15 (Hayes, Lundstrom), 9:12 (pp). Penalties – Cole, Aces (cross-checking), 4:56; Marciano, Bakersfield (tripping), 7:01; Craig, Bakersfield (boarding), 7:36; Cole, Aces, major (fighting), 11:02; Currie, Bakersfield, major (fighting), 11:02; Gorham, Aces (kneeing), 19:13.
Third Period – 6, Aces, Walters 1 (Wolfe, Syvret), :43 (sh); 7, Aces, Hayes 4 (Walters, Wolfe), 19:59 (en). Penalties – Gorham, Aces (kneeing), 7:32; Connolly, Aces (roughing), 9:32; Kremyr, Bakersfield (roughing), 9:32; Lindenmulder, Bakersfield (cross-checking), 10:28; Doty, Aces (cross-checking), 13:11.
Shots on goal – Bakersfield 9-16-13—38. Aces 10-6-8—24.
Power-play Opportunities – Bakersfield 0 of 5. Aces 2 of 6.
Goalies – Bakersfield, Tuohimaa, 6-4-2 (23 shots-19 saves). Aces, Lundstrom, 10-10-0 (38-36).
A – 4,013 (6,399). T – 2:22.
Referee – Stephen Reneau. Linesmen – Travis Jackson, Josh Ellis.
Alaska Dispatch Publishing