Alaska Aces Hockey

Alaska Aces get coveted secondary scoring in 5-1 win over Utah

In the Alaska Aces' glory years — ECHL Kelly Cups in 2014, 2011 and 2006 — their scoring came from everywhere. If the first line didn't torture opponents, the second and third lines, and the defensemen, often contributed to the cause.

That multidimensional attack is what the Aces seek this hockey season after consecutive failures to qualify for the playoffs.

Friday night, the Aces received the secondary scoring they covet in a 5-1 victory over the Utah Grizzlies in the opener of a three-game set at Sullivan Arena.

Rookie defenseman Mackenze Stewart chipped in with his first pro goal to help the Aces (9-4-1) to their third straight victory. Tyler Ruegsegger bagged his second goal of the season. Center Ben Lake, who entered with two points — both goals — in 12 games, furnished principal assists on the Stewart and Ruegsegger goals. And rookie defenseman Matt Geurts racked the primary assist on a power-play goal for his first ECHL point.

Some of the usual suspects chipped in too on a night when the Aces responded to a first-period, power-play goal from Utah's Mathieu Aubin by reeling off four goals in the second period.

Peter Sivak scored his team-leading 10th goal on a breakaway backhander kick-started by Tim Wallace's blocked shot in the defensive zone. And Wallace scored twice — one on a deflection of Geurts' pass-shot and the other to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play from Sivak and Tim Coffman.

With leading scorer Stephen Perfetto promoted for the first time to the American Hockey League — the second-year center debuted Friday with San Antonio on the circuit one step below the NHL — secondary scoring became even more critical for Alaska.

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"Every night, everyone is out there competing,'' Stewart said. "Tonight, it clicked. Guys were in the right place at the right time. On winning teams, the top line or the third line, they're all going to be able to score.''

Stewart's second-period goal, with the teams skating 4-on-4, came when Lake won a left-wing face-off against C.J. Eick and pulled the puck back to Stewart at the left point. Stewart stepped into a slap shot and cranked it over the glove of Ryan Faragher (20 saves) for the second goal in a three-goal outburst covering 4:15 and a 3-1 lead.

"Right before, (Lake) said, 'Just lay into it,' so I did,'' Stewart said.

The Aces got the measure of Faragher for the first time in a long time. The former St. Cloud State goalie last season owned Alaska — he went 5-0-0 against the Aces, with a 1.80 goals-against average and .945 save percentage.

Alaska's usual first line of Perfetto centering Sivak and a rotating cast of left wings — Wallace most recently — has often carried the club in the early season. With Perfetto gone, Coffman, who averages more than one point per game, stepped into the pivot between Wallace and Sivak. Still, Lake said, everyone needs to chip in.

"Obviously, we've been relying on our top guys, so it's nice to chip in and show the coach we can score goals,'' Lake said.

Aces coach Rob Murray, who guided the franchise to the 2014 Cup, said multidimensional scoring is a must.

"It has to be that way, even with Stephen here,'' he said.

[Responsibility heightens for Aces' Carr and Coffman]

With Aces rookie goaltender Michael Garteig (7-1-0) up in the AHL with Utica, Alaska's affiliate, more responsibility shifts to third-year masked man Kevin Carr. He responded Friday with 28 saves in arguably his strongest of six starts this season, and he raised his save percentage to .910 from .899.

"You don't have to look any further than Carrsy,'' to explain the win, Murray said.

With the Aces trailing 1-0 in the first period, Carr stoned Erik Bradford's point-blank bid. Tied 1-1 nearly midway through the second period, he turned aside Jon Puskar's breakaway backhander. Yet Carr's most pivotal save came with the Aces holding a 2-1 edge and killing a Utah power play.

The Grizzlies (7-8-2) moved the puck with quickness and precision to set up Puskar, who was unattended in the low slot. Carr lunged to his right and flashed his blocker to rebuff Puskar.

"Unbelievable save,'' Lake said.

Shortly after that, Stewart gave the Aces a 3-1 cushion. Wallace followed with his power-play deflection 95 seconds later to earn a 4-1 cushion that helped push Utah's winless streak to four games (0-3-1).

Shuffling the deck

Wallace's first two-goal game gives the former NHLer from Anchorage 4-3—7 totals in a three-game point streak.

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Sivak's goal and helper marked his third straight multiple-point game — he's 3-3—6 in that stretch — and eighth in 14 games this season.

Coffman has generated five assists in his three-game point streak.

Perfetto was minus-2 with no shots in San Antonio's 4-3 overtime loss to the Texas Stars. The Rampage got a goal from former Aces winger Garry Nunn, whose five goals in 15 games tie him for second on the team. San Antonio also got a power-play assist from former Aces winger Alex Belzile.

Garteig served as back-up in Utica's 5-2 win at Rochester, which marked the fourth straight win for the Comets (7-9-1).

Utah 1  0  0 — 1

Aces 0  4  1 — 5

First Period – 1, Utah, Aubin 4 (McNally, Daly), 6:01 (pp). Penalties – Trenz, Aces (hooking), 5:33; Pietroniro, Utah (holding), 10:37.

Second Period – 2, Aces, Ruegsegger 2 (Lake, Levesque), :27; 3, Aces, Sivak 10, 12:24; 4, Aces, Stewart 1 (Lake), 15:04; 5, Aces, Wallace 5 (Geurts, Tarasuk), 16:39 (pp). Penalties – Ruegsegger, Aces (slashing), 9:18; Hunt, Aces (roughing), 13:41; Puskar, Utah (hooking), 15:02; Windle, Utah (roughing), 17:59.

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Third Period – 6, Aces, Wallace 6 (Sivak, Coffman), 17:08. Penalties – Lauwers, Aces (slashing), 3:22; Trenz, Aces (delay of game, puck over glass), 5:27; Puskar, Utah (holding), 12:08.

Shots on goal – Utah 5-10-14—29. Aces 6-12-7—25.

Power-play Opportunities – Utah 1 of 5. Aces 1 of 4.

Goalies – Utah, Faragher 6-4-1 (25 shots-20 saves). Aces, Carr, 2-3-1 (29-28).

A – 3,440 (6,399). T – 2:27.

Referee – Korey Chipperfield. Linesmen – Travis Jackson, Chad Colliander.

Doyle Woody

Doyle Woody covered hockey and other sports for the Anchorage Daily News for 34 years.

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