The Alaska Aces avoided tying one franchise record for futility Saturday night, and while they matched another dubious club record, they also made progress by securing a point for the first time in seven hockey games.
The Aces' 3-2 shootout loss on the road to the Indy Fuel snapped their run of six straight regulation losses – the club record is seven – but it also burdened them with a club record-tying, seven-game winless streak (0-6-1).
Indy won a four-round shootout, 1-0, on Daniel Ciampini's goal, which dropped the Aces to 0-2 in skills competitions this season.
The Aces (4-8-2) have not flourished in shootouts. They have losing records in shootouts in each of the last five seasons and are 13-22 in shootouts in that span.
Yet, there were encouraging signs for Alaska in the third game of a six-game road trip that continues Tuesday morning – yes, a morning game, 6:35 a.m. AST – in Cincinnati.
Center Tyler Maxwell, a 26-goal scorer for ECHL Stockton last season who went without a goal in the Aces' first 10 games this season and was a healthy scratch in Game 11, scored both Aces goals. That gives him three goals in the last three games.
And goaltender Troy Redmann, who has struggled of late, rebounded with a sharp 31-save performance that snapped his string of four straight regulation losses.
The Aces' seven-game winless streak matches the longest in the club's 13-season ECHL history. The 2009-10 Aces lost seven straight games in regulation – that's the club record for most consecutive losses in regulation – and last season's team endured a 0-5-2 stretch.
Maxwell got the Aces off to a strong start by beating Mac Carruth (27 saves) from a severe angle 69 seconds into the game. The Fuel (7-3-1), who improved to 5-0-0 on home ice at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum, countered with Kyle Stroh's goal seven minutes later and earned a 2-1 lead on Cody Sharib's goal less than seven minutes into the second period.
Maxwell, though, forged a 2-2 tie 64 seconds into the third period, when he pounced on a Fuel turnover and scored.
Both teams fired four shots on goal in the five-minute overtime during which teams skated 3-on-3.
Shuffling the deck
Aces alternate captain Garet Hunt (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) fought twice – he took on Josh Brittain (6-5, 231) and Patrick Koudys (6-3, 209) – and racked up 34 penalty minutes.
Both teams went 0-3 on the power play. The three power-play chances were the most the Aces have enjoyed in the last six games. The Aces are 1-15 on the power play in their seven-game winless streak.
Alaska on Saturday claimed defenseman Davis Vandane off waivers from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Vandane played one game for Greenville and spent the two previous seasons at the University of Calgary.
The addition of Vandane likely means the Aces will waive a player. ECHL teams are permitted 21 active players for the first 30 days of the season – Saturday was Day 30 – and 20 active players after that, and can also have two players on reserve and an unlimited number on 21-day injured reserve.
Alaska currently has 23 players total. Waiving a player would also cut payroll.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Indy wins shootout 1-0
Aces 1 0 1 0 -- 2
Indy 1 1 0 1 -- 3
First Period – 1, Aces, Maxwell 2 (Stewart, Hunt), 1:19; 2, Indy, Stroh 4 (Mattson, Schneider), 8:09. Penalties – Brittain, Indy, minor-major-misconduct (cross-checking, fighting), 7:12; Hunt, Aces, minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 7:12; Lake, Aces (slashing), 17:25.
Second Period – 3, Indy, Sharib 2 (Marshall, Brittain), 6:43. Penalties – Fournier, Aces (cross-checking), 4:19; Perfetto, Aces (hooking), 7:46; Brittain, Indy (cross-checking), 10:53.
Third Period – 4, Aces, Maxwell 3, 1:04. Penalties – Koudys, Indy, minor-major (instigator, fighting), 7:11; Hunt, Aces, minor-major-game misconduct (cross-checking, fighting), 7:11; Miskovic, Indy (slashing), 8:08; Clarke, Indy (slashing), 9:57.
Overtime – None. Penalties – None.
Shootout – Indy 1 (Lavoie NG, Stroh, NG, Bembridge NG, Ciampini G); Aces 0 (Maxwell NG, Coffman NG, Perry NG, Perfetto NG).
Shots on goal – Aces 5-10-10-4—29. Indy 11-14-4-4—33.
Power-play Opportunities – Aces 0 of 3. Indy 0 of 3.
Goalies – Aces, Redmann, 3-5-2 (33 shots-31 saves). Indy, Carruth, 3-1-1 (29-27).
A – 4,102 (6,488). T – 2:33.
Referee – Andy Thackaberry. Linesmen – Ryan Madsen, Jesse Pletsch.