Considering all the obstacles the Alaska Aces encountered Friday night, when they endured a terrifically bad start, a pair of two-goal deficits and never led, leaving the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado, with a point was a victory of sorts.
The Aces fell to the Colorado Eagles, 5-4, in overtime, yet they snapped their three-game losing streak, and showed resiliency and resolve that have been absent of late.
Colorado's Collin Bowman scored 3 minutes, 34 seconds into extra time, delivering his 10th goal, tops among ECHL defensemen, and keeping his club perfect in games that go past regulation. The Eagles, who have won six straight games, are 4-0 in OT and 1-0 in shootouts.
Aces veteran winger Brendan Connolly forced OT when he scored on a power-play one-timer with less than eight minutes left in regulation to forge a 4-4 tie. The goal snapped his six-game goal drought.
That strike pulled the Aces back to even after trailing 2-0 just more than five minutes into the game and 3-1 inside the first three minutes of the second period.
Still, the Aces (15-16-3) didn't do themselves any favors with another dismal start. Colorado's Nathan Moon scored before four minutes had been played and that marked 13th time in 34 games Alaska has surrendered the first goal of the game inside the opening five minutes. It also marked the 23rd time Alaska's opponent has opened the scoring. Alaska has scored the game's first goal 32.4-percent of the time, the lowest percentage on the 28-team circuit.
Alaska also surrendered a season-high 44 shots.
But the Aces also got their moribund power play untracked, converting twice in five opportunities. And rookie goaltender Niklas Lundstrom, pulled in each of his previous two starts, including Wednesday's 5-1 loss to Colorado, rebounded from a poor start. He surrendered goals on two of the first three shots he faced, but also stopped a season-high 40 shots.
Aces defenseman Corbin Baldwin, a stay-at-home blueliner, scored on the power play early in the second period to cut Colorado's lead to 2-1. But former UAA winger Jordan Kwas answered on a rebound 55 seconds later.
Alaska winger Raphael Bussieres and defenseman Brad Cole scored goals later in the second to generate a 3-3 tie. But Colorado's Brett Kulak scored 91 seconds after Cole's equalizer to restore the Eagles' lead at 4-3.
Those two quick responses to Alaska goals marked 11 times this season the Aces have failed to harness the momentum of a goal because they surrendered a goal within two minutes of their celebration.
Alaska and Colorado wrap the three-game series Saturday night, which also marks the end of the Aces' six-game road trip (1-3-1 so far).
Shuffling the deck
Connolly furnished one goal and one assist to snap his three-game point drought.
Greg Wolfe's assist pushed his point streak to four games. He owns 2-3—5 totals in that span.
Center Tim Coffman sat out with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Colten Hayes returned to the lineup after missing two games with a lower-body injury.
Newcomer Matt Harrington, signed from the Mississippi RiverKings of the Southern Professional Hockey League, debuted with two assists for the Aces.
The Aces also acquired the rights to forward Brandon Hynes, for future considerations, from South Carolina, but suspended Hynes after they said he would not report to the team.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr