After months and months stuck on the outside looking in at the playoff picture in the ECHL's Pacific Division, the Alaska Aces finally shoved their way into the frame Sunday.
The Aces' 4-2 road win over the Stockton Thunder allowed Alaska to leapfrog the Utah Grizzlies by one point and move into fourth place, the last postseason spot in the division.
Alaska never trailed, and was really never threatened, in securing its fifth consecutive road victory and improving to a season-best nine games above .500 at 34-25-7.
After starting the season 5-11-1 in its first 17 road games, the Aces have gone 9-4-2 in their last 15 roadies. That includes a 5-2-0 mark on this season-long, 10-game road trip that includes a game Wednesday at division-leading Idaho before wrapping the journey with pivotal games at Utah on Friday and Saturday.
"This is when it's going to get even tougher,'' Aces coach Rob Murray said by cellphone.
Alaska was mired one game below .500 in early February. That was decidedly unfamiliar territory for a franchise that is the defending Kelly Cup champion, a three-time league champ, winner of four consecutive Brabham Cups as regular-season champion and has never failed to qualify for the playoffs in 11 previous ECHL seasons.
Since then, the Aces have gone 16-6-3. Murray has added a slew of newcomers to the roster and the team's goaltending, problematic for more than half the season, has stabilized. Troy Redmann, picked up off waivers from Colorado, has merely gone 11-1-3 in the Aces net, though he got a rest Sunday when rookie Niklas Lundstrom made 25 saves.
"I just think we're a better team right now that we were,'' Murray said. "In saying that, we're missing guys like (Olivier) Archambault and (Tim) Coffman, who have been contributors for us.
"I think we were trying to get by with a Band-Aid for a while. Our goaltending has been better, and there's a commitment level from the guys.''
Archambault, a rookie winger who delivered 20 goals and 38 points in 38 games, has long been up in the American Hockey League with the Iowa Wild. Coffman, a returning center who owns 12-27—39 totals in 45 games, has missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury.
Still, some of the Aces' more potent offensive players have been streaking. Leading scorer Brendan Connolly's assist Sunday gives him 6-6—12 totals in a five-game point streak and 11-7—18 totals in the last nine games. Greg Wolfe's helper gives him 4-5—9 totals in a six-game streak. Chris Francis' goal gives him 5-4—9 totals in the last four games. And Ryan Walters' assist drove his point streak to six games, with 6-6—12 totals in that stretch.
With additions on the blue line, most notably the signing of Felix Poulin and the return of veteran Corey Syvret from a long absence with injury, the Aces are also steadier in their own zone. Syvret on Sunday also added a power-play strike for his career-high 6th goal.
Nor did it hurt that Stockton is undermanned and also sits last in the Pacific Division. Alaska's sweep of the three-game series – the Aces won 10-2 Friday and 5-4 in a shootout Saturday – was its first three-game sweep at Stockton in four such series all-time. Sunday's game also marked Alaska's last against the Thunder. Stockton next season will have a franchise in the AHL.
Bryan Cameron snuffed his 10-game goal drought Sunday, scoring three seconds after a power play expired late in the first period at Stockton Arena to furnish a 1-0 lead. Syvret boosted the lead early in the second period and stay-at-home defenseman Corbin Baldwin chipped in to make it 3-0 inside the opening eight minutes of the third period.
The rest was bookkeeping.
And speaking of bookkeeping, the Aces left the arena early Sunday evening with their ledger rearranged.
They're finally in playoff position.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockey-blog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr
Alaska 1 1 2 - 4
Stockton 0 0 2 - 2
1st Period-1, Alaska, Cameron 11 (Cole, Higby), 18:11. Penalties-Pereira Stk (tripping), 0:59; Walters Ak (roughing), 2:56; Hunt Stk (cross-checking major, game misconduct - cross-checking), 2:56; Connolly Ak (unsportsmanlike conduct), 13:56; Pereira Stk (hooking), 16:08.
2nd Period-2, Alaska, Syvret 6 (Wolfe, Connolly), 4:03 (PP). Penalties-Baldwin Ak (tripping), 0:14; Stebner Stk (high-sticking - double), 1:56; Larocque Stk (tripping), 3:47; Paulazzo Stk (interference), 19:01.
3rd Period-3, Alaska, Baldwin 3 (Markovic, Breton), 6:52. 4, Stockton, Scarsella 14 (Maxwell, Shattock), 11:26 (PP). 5, Alaska, Francis 25 (Walters), 17:35. 6, Stockton, Paulazzo 2 18:06. Penalties-Shattock Stk (elbowing), 1:52; Cole Ak (hooking), 11:15.
Shots on Goal-Alaska 10-13-13-36. Stockton 12-7-8-27.
Power Play Opportunities-Alaska 1 / 7; Stockton 1 / 3.
Goalies-Alaska, Lundstrom 16-15-1-1 (27 shots-25 saves). Stockton, Simpson 7-18-1-0 (36 shots-32 saves).
A-5,104
Referees-JM McNulty (21).
Linesmen-Brent Tubbs (42), Tanner Nua (90).