In 103 hockey games this season and last, Colorado Eagles defenseman Sean Zimmerman did not score a goal.
He halted that drought Friday night, and also helped stop the Alaska Aces' six-game road point streak.
Zimmerman scored twice and Colorado's blueliners bagged four goals in a 5-2 ECHL win over the Aces in the typically sold-out Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.
The Aces (16-21-5), who went 4-0-2 on their previous road trip, led twice in the early going — 1-0 and 2-1 — but were undone in part by a match penalty against defenseman Garrett Haar deep into the second period.
That match penalty for high-sticking and cutting Darryl Bootland — any match penalty is considered intent to injure, and triggers an automatic ejection and a suspension until a league review in conducted — furnished the Eagles (21-18-2) a five-minute power play. Defenseman Adrian Veideman scored on the man advantage to earn the Eagles a 3-2 lead they extended on Zimmerman's second goal of the game, four minutes into the third period, and cushioned with Jesse Mychan's empty-netter in the final minute.
All that mitigated Alaska's strong start to the game.
The Aces jumped to a 1-0 lead on defenseman Mitch Jones' power-play strike 12 minutes into the game. Zimmerman, without a goal in 40 previous games this season and 63 games last season, scored from the slot four minutes later for a 1-1 tie. But Aces first-line center Tim Coffman answered less than two after that to give his club a 2-1 lead that Colorado defenseman Collin Bowman wiped out with his goal midway through the second period.
Colorado veteran center Trent Daavettila delivered two assists to give him 2-9—11 totals in his six-game point streak.
Coffman's top line stopped its recent drought. Coffman's goal was his 14th, one behind team leader Justin Breton, and snapped his three-game point drought. Winger Peter Sivak (two assists) stopped his four-game point drought and winger Colin Valcourt (assist) stopped his three-game point drought.
The Aces, who close the series at Colorado on Saturday night before a three-game set at Idaho next week, received 26 saves from goaltender Troy Redmann, who made his 18th consecutive start.
Colorado's Clarke Saunders made 28 saves.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Aces 2 0 0 — 2
Colorado 1 2 2 — 5
First Period — 1, Aces, Jones 2 (Sivak, Wrenn), 11:48 (pp); 2, Colorado, Zimmerman 1 (Sheen, Rodwell), 15:55; 3, Aces, Coffman 14 (Sivak, Valcourt), 17:39. Penalties — Bowman, Colorado (tripping), :20; Wrenn, Aces (holding), 5:52; Ostrow, Colorado (tripping), 10:45.
Second Period — 4, Colorado, Bowman 11 (Daavettila, Veideman), 10:53; 5, Colorado, Veideman 5 (Mychan), 18:43 (pp). Penalties — Jones, Aces (roughing), 10:53; Haar, Aces, match penalty (high-sticking), 16:02.
Third Period — 6, Colorado, Zimmerman 2 (Sheen, Daavettila), 3:51; 7, Colorado, Mychan 17, 19:36 (en). Penalties — Joe, Colorado (roughing), 4:07; Jones, Aces (roughing), 4:07; Bowman, Colorado (roughing), 8:33.
Shots on goal — Aces 12-4-14—30. Colorado 8-15-8—31.
Power-play Opportunities — Aces 1 of 3. Colorado 1 of 4.
Goalies — Aces, Redmann, 12-15-4 (30 shots-26 saves). Colorado, Saunders, 4-2-0 (30-28).
A — 5,289 (5,289). T — 2:26.
Referee — Stephen Thomson. Linesmen — Dylan Peper, Josh Pergande.