The Alaska Aces bid farewell to Rabobank Arena on Tuesday night with the hockey equivalent of all but burning down the joint.
The Aces shook themselves from an early slumber, torched the Bakersfield Condors for six unanswered first-period goals in a span of 7 minutes, 26 seconds, and eased to an 8-4 road victory in California.
Alaska (31-25-7), which pulled within three points of fourth-place Utah for the last playoff spot in the ECHL's Pacific Division, has one game in hand on the Grizzlies and nine games left in the 72-game regular season. The Aces' win also officially eliminated the Condors (24-33-8) from playoff contention, although Bakersfield's fate was a question of when, not if.
Tuesday's game marked the 149th and last meeting between the franchises, dating back to the old West Coast Hockey League days when the clubs were known as the Anchorage Aces and Bakersfield Fog. The rivalry ends because there is no possibility of meeting in the postseason and Bakersfield next season will play one rung up the ladder in the American Hockey League.
The Condors also were the opponent the last time the Aces dropped a six-goal anvil on someone. Alaska on Nov. 14, 2009, blitzed Bakersfield for six first-period goals in a 7-1 win at Sullivan Arena.
Things did not initially go swell for the Aces, who were coming off a 3-1 win Saturday at Ontario that snapped a two-loss string to the Reign to open this 10-game, three-week road trip. Bakersfield's Andrew Radjenovic was left unattended and scored 97 seconds into the match, and the Condors early on dictated the pace and controlled the puck.
But Greg Wolfe's goal off a primary assist from Dean Chelios less than nine minutes into the game proved more than an equalizer. It furnished the spark that lit the torch.
Chris Francis two minutes later scored on a breakaway for his career high-tying 21st goal. Connolly soon extended his team-leading and career-high total to 27. And defenseman Evan Renwick scored to chase former UAF goaltender Sean Cahill (seven saves on 11 shots) in favor of fellow rookie Kris Lazaruk.
Alaska's Erik Higby and defenseman Nilan Nagy greeted Lazaruk by piling on with goals. Nagy's goal marked his first as a pro and delivered a 6-1 lead.
Aces coach Rob Murray said Wolfe's goal transformed the Aces and triggered their onslaught.
"I think we got a break,'' Murray said by cellphone. "There was a turnover and Chelios dove and reached for it just before it was offside. (The Condors) were screaming for offside, but the linesman made a good call.
"That put Wolfey in all alone. That got us out of our funk to start the game.''
The rest of the game was just playing out the clock, as evidenced by Bakersfield's 41-32 shot advantage.
Nine of Alaska's 16 skaters generated multiple-point games and 14 of 16 skaters contributed at least one point.
Aces goalie Troy Redmann (37 saves) improved to 9-1-3 for the club – that's 21 of a possible 26 points in the standings – since being picked up off waivers from Colorado.
One-sided games like Tuesday often turn sloppy and casual, and while no coach likes his team losing sight of details, a greater concern for Murray and company is simply earning points.
The Aces on Friday open a three-game series against last-place Stockton.
"At this point, I don't care how we win,'' Murray said. "Now, we move on to Stockton and look for some more wins.''
Shuffling the deck
Besides that 2009 home win over Bakersfield that featured a six-goal period from Alaska, the Aces in the last nine seasons have on one other occasion reeled off a six-goal period. That one was amazing.
The Fresno Falcons led the Aces 5-1 after two periods at Sullivan Arena on Nov. 16, 2007, before the Aces pounded out six third-period goals for a 7-5 win. Alaska went 4 for 4 on the power play in the third period that night and defenseman Bryan Miller furnished a hat trick (all on the power play) that included the game-winning strike with 2:33 to go. Kimbi Daniels had two third-period goals and a third-period helper, and Josh Soares had three third-period assists.
There were some Alaska connections on the opposing bench. Fresno's coach was current UAA bench boss Matt Thomas. Also current UAA assistant coach Josh Ciocco was a Falcons winger, and he had two assists and a plus-one rating.
Connolly's goal Tuesday was his seventh in the last six games and he owns 7-4—11 totals in the last six games. Ryan Walters scored a goal for the third straight game. Justin Breton scored a goal to reach double figures this season with 10.
Chelios has at least one point in all five games since joining the Aces in a trade from Indy, and 1-5—6 totals in that span. Defenseman Corey Syvret (two assists) has six points in the last five games. And Bryan Cameron's three assists came after he had just one point, an assist, in the previous seven games.
Defenseman Landon Oslanski (two assists) has 1-5—6 totals in six games since he was acquired from Missouri.
The Aces permitted the Condors just one power play. The only other time Alaska's opponent enjoyed just one power play this season came in a season-opening 3-1 home loss to Ontario.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Alaska 6 1 1 - 8
Bakersfield 2 1 1 - 4
1st Period-1, Bakersfield, Radjenovic 3 (Block, MacNeil), 1:37. 2, Alaska, Wolfe 19 (Chelios, Connolly), 8:25. 3, Alaska, Francis 21 (Walters, Syvret), 10:24. 4, Alaska, Connolly 27 (Oslanski, Syvret), 12:23. 5, Alaska, Renwick 2 (Oslanski, Cameron), 14:18. 6, Alaska, Higby 3 (Renwick, Poulin), 15:21. 7, Alaska, Nagy 1 (Cameron, Higby), 15:51. 8, Bakersfield, Lessard 17 (Nash, Currie), 17:50. Penalties-No Penalties
2nd Period-9, Alaska, Walters 16 (Wolfe, Francis), 1:18 (PP). 10, Bakersfield, Sylvestre 21 (Watson, Lazaruk), 10:21. Penalties-Radjenovic Bak (interference), 0:44; MacNeil Bak (high-sticking), 18:08.
3rd Period-11, Bakersfield, Pageau 7 (Watson, Radjenovic), 12:55. 12, Alaska, Breton 10 (Cameron, Markovic), 15:12. Penalties-Chelios Ak (delay of game), 4:30; Judson Bak (boarding), 10:02.
Shots on Goal-Alaska 16-5-11-32. Bakersfield 10-12-19-41.
Power Play Opportunities-Alaska 1 / 3; Bakersfield 0 / 1.
Goalies-Alaska, Redmann 11-1-0-3 (41 shots-37 saves). Bakersfield, Cahill 0-1-0-0 (11 shots-7 saves); Lazaruk 0-3-0-0 (21 shots-17 saves).
A-3,012
Referees-Andrew Wilk (24).
Linesmen-Brett Martin (75), Steven Berry (77).