Anchorage Daily News

The damning statistic did not escape the notice of the Alaska Aces, not when it read like an indictment of them before their 5-0 shutout of the undermanned Phoenix RoadRunners on Wednesday night.

In hockey games this season against teams with current records of .500 or below, the ECHL West Division- leading Aces entered Wednesday's opener of a four-game series with a record of 5-9-2.

No way to put any happy spin on those numbers. The Aces too often have taken games for granted, whether the opponent sported a sub-.500 record or dressed a thin lineup or, like the RoadRunners, was limited by both those shortcomings.

"We really have a tendency to look at their lineup and look at our lineup, and compare one piece of paper to the other,'' said Aces coach Keith McCambridge. "Those are points on the table that we need.''

Wednesday, the Aces (37-21-3) seized them before an announced crowd of 4,189 at Sullivan Arena to claim their third straight win and seventh in the last eight games.

Playing against a Phoenix team (26-29-3) with 11 players on call-up to the American Hockey League and dressing just 14 skaters, including fill-in Jimmy Dahl, the former Aces and Seawolf, the Aces played to their strengths instead of playing down to their opponent.

Five different Aces scored goals -- the strikes were provided by Brett Hemingway, Colin Hemingway, Jordan Foreman, Matt Stefanishion and Luke Erickson -- and 11 different skaters furnished at least one point. Lance Galbraith bagged three assists and defenseman Matt Shasby contributed two helpers to run his assist streak to 10 games, the longest in the league this season.

On top of that, goaltender Kevin Nastiuk stopped 22 shots for his first shutout this season and the ninth by an Alaska masked man. The Aces scored three power-play goals and killed a major penalty in the first period, when Alaska shutdown defenseman Derick Martin played the first four minutes of that penalty kill.

"It was brought to our attention we're struggling against teams with lesser records,'' Shasby said. "I think we responded to that.''

The only bummer for the Aces was the loss of winger Erik Fabian. He returned to the lineup after missing three games with a hip injury last week, but injured his knee and did not play in the second half of the game.

By the time the Aces chased former Alaska goalie Chris Beckford-Tseu (27 saves on 32 shots) with a four-goal second period that gave them a 5-0 lead heading into the second intermission, the only thing at stake for the home club was Nastiuk's shutout.

His toughest stops came earlier. He ranged left to right across his crease to get his right pad on Mark O'Leary's point-blank bid in the first period. Midway through the game, with Alaska's lead at just 2-0, Nastiuk stacked his pads and flashed his glove to snare John McNabb's short-handed backhander on a semi-breakaway.

"It's one of those things where you try to make a save to help your team,'' Nastiuk said.

Nastiuk's shutout gave the Aces back-to-back bagels. Rookie Jean-Philippe Lamoureux recorded his league record-tying seventh shutout this season in Sunday's 2-0 win.

The RoadRunners, meanwhile, were limited to four defensemen as they fight for their playoff lives. And their leading scorer, former Aces center Kimbi Daniels, played yet was clearly hobbled by a knee injury.

"We've just got to weather the storm,'' Daniels said. "I don't think anyone is going to feel sorry for us.

"We've just got to try to stay in games, stay out of the (penalty) box and find a way to get some points.''

The Aces remained one point ahead of Idaho (36-18-4), a 2-1 shootout winner at Utah on Wednesday, in the West standings. Still, the Steelheads, 7-2-1 in their last 10 games compared to the Aces' 8-2-0 in their last 10, have played three fewer games than Alaska.

"We have to count on them winning every game, so we have to win every game,'' Shasby said. "That's the only way to give us home ice throughout the playoffs.

"There's not a night to take off from here on out.''

Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.

Phoenix 0 0 0 -- 0

Aces 1 4 0 -- 5

First Period -- 1, Aces, B. Hemingway 7 (Galbraith, Shasby), 1:39 (pp). Penalties -- Campbell, Phoenix (roughing), :11; Tuzzolino, Aces, major (fighting), 3:50; McEwan, Phoenix, major (fighting), 3:50; Galbraith, Aces, major (elbowing), 9:14.

Second Period -- 2, Aces, C. Heminway 21 (Keith, Galbraith), 4:32 (pp); 3, Aces, Foreman 9 (B. Hemingway, Schmidt), 13:43; 4, Aces, Stefanishion 16 (Martin, Tuzzolino), 16:41; 5, Aces, Erickson 18 (Shasby, Galbraith), 19:02 (pp). Penalties -- McEwan, Phoenix (boarding), 2:42; O'Leary, Phoenix (kneeing), 4:13; Waldrop, Phoenix (holding), 9:51; McNabb, Phoenix (tripping), 14:13; Stefanishion, Aces (roughing), 17;13; McEwan, Phoenix (high-sticking), 17:13; Sisca, Phoenix (holding), 18:47.

Third Period -- None Penalties -- Nastiuk, Aces, served by Foreman (delay of game-puck over glass), 8:04.

Shots on goal -- Phoenix 8-6-8--22. Aces 15-17-9--41.

Power-play Opportunities -- Phoenix 0 of 2; Aces 3 of 6.

Goalies -- Phoenix, Beckford-Tseu 1-4-1 (32 shots-27 saves), Jones, 0:00 3rd (9-9). Aces, Nastiuk 10-9-3 (22-22).

A -- 4,189 (6,251). T -- 2:18.

Referee -- Jason Nissen. Linesmen -- Will Moran, Chad Colliander.

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