Alaska Aces Hockey

Mychan hat trick lifts Colorado to series-opening 4-1 win over Aces

Twenty-eight games into the hockey season is a bit deep to be learning the lesson the Alaska Aces absorbed Friday night — best be on point against the Colorado Eagles or they'll use you like a whetstone to sharpen their edges.

The ECHL's Mountain Division leaders used Jesse Mychan's hat trick and Clarke Saunders' 29 saves to dispatch the flat Aces, 4-1, at Sullivan Arena and expand their division lead over Alaska.

Colorado (19-7-4), which has not lost consecutive games in regulation this season and earlier this month reeled off an eight-game winning streak, owns a five-point lead over the Aces (16-7-5). The Aces have two games in hand over the Eagles.

"We're feeling good right now,'' Mychan said. "We're short a few bodies, so everyone's had to step up, and they have. And we're getting great goaltending.''

The Aces (16-7-5), meanwhile, weren't terrible Friday. There just wasn't much precision in their play, from goaltender Kevin Carr (23 saves) on out.

"It was just a bad game, that's all I can say,'' said Alaska coach Rob Murray.

While the Aces notably continued to kill penalties well — they burned all four Eagles power plays and have killed 27 straight power plays in seven games — their power play continued to struggle. The Aces went 0 for 3 Friday, when they surrendered a short-handed goal to Mychan, and have failed on their last 21 power plays in a seven-game stretch.

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The Eagles raced to a 2-0 cushion in the opening 10 minutes, courtesy of goals from defenseman Sean Zimmerman and Mychan.

Zimmerman's wrister from the center point was aided by a nice screen of Carr from Josh Nicholls. Mychan scored on a short-handed 2-on-1 when Casey Pierro-Zabotel's shot-pass threaded through Carr's pads and left Mychan with a tap-in as he skated past the left post.

Mychan raised Colorado's advantage to 3-0 on another 2-on-1 just two minutes into the second period. Carr thought he had Jake Marto's shot from the right circle secured, but the puck ended up behind him in the blue ice and Mychan enjoyed another tap-in.

"Honestly, the easiest two goals of my career,'' Mychan said.

Mychan last season tied for the ECHL lead in goals with 32 in 63 games. This season, he has furnished 19 goals in 25 games. Friday's hat trick was his second of the season and his fifth multiple-goal game.

Ben Lake finally got the Aces going about eight minutes into the second period when he banged in a rebound of Justin Breton's shot to cut Colorado's advantage to 3-1.

Carr about six minutes later shuffled to his right to make a phenomenal save on Kenny Brooks' 2-on-1 one-timer. That could have been a game-turning save. But Alaska could not again crack Saunders (11-1-1), who reduced his goals-against average to 2.13 and elevated his save percentage to .933 — both numbers rank him second on the circuit.

Mychan racked his hat trick with a gorgeous goal early in the third period. He blew into the Aces' zone on right wing, avoided the back-check of Garet Hunt, danced inside of defenseman Steven Tarasuk and roofed a wrister over Carr's glove.

Just as the Aces many times this season have made easy work of opponents who weren't crisp, the Eagles didn't have much trouble against an Aces team that was flat.

"We've got to tighten up and be sharper,'' said Hunt, Alaska's captain.

They get a chance right away. Colorado and Alaska play in the Aces' annual New Year's Eve game Saturday night and wrap a three-game series with a matinee Sunday.

Colorado 2  1  1   4

Aces 0  1  0   1

First Period — 1, Colorado, Zimmerman 1 (Nicholls, St.-Amant), 3:08; 2, Colorado, Mychan 17 (Pierro-Zabotel, Register), 10:21 (sh). Penalties — Hunt, Aces (roughing), 3:53; Salazar, Colorado (slashing), 3:53; Register, Colorado (charging), 4:23; Marto, Colorado (high-sticking), 9:29; Hunt, Aces (boarding), 15:03.

Second Period — 3, Colorado, Mychan 18 (Marto, Salazar), 4:47; 4, Aces, Lake 4 (Breton), 7:44. Penalties — Zimmerman, Colorado (interference), 2:04; Hunt, Aces (roughing), 10:36.

Third Period — 5, Colorado, Mychan 19 (Salazar), 2:25. Penalties — Coffman, Aces (high-sticking), 11:20; Hunt, Aces, double-minor, served by Olczyk (holding, roughing), 18:46; Zimmerman, Colorado (roughing), 18:46.

Shots on goal — Colorado 8-11-8—27. Aces 9-12-9—30.

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Power-play Opportunities — Colorado 0 of 4. Aces 0 of 3.

Goalies — Colorado, Saunders, 11-1-1 (30 shots-29 saves). Aces, Carr, 8-6-3 (27-23).

A — 4,263 (6,399). T — 2:30.

Referee — Kenny Anderson. Linesmen — Scott Sivulich, Josh Ellis.

Doyle Woody

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

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