Aces Deal Salmon Kings First Loss in 42 Days

Published on January 17, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Erik Fabian had a goal and two assists as Alaska handed Victoria its first loss in six weeks by a score of 5-3 before 4,497 Friday at Sullivan Arena.

The Aces already had snapped a 15-game winning streak for the Salmon Kings on Wednesday, prevailing 3-2 in a shootout, and Friday, ended their 16-game unbeaten string. Victoria had broken Alaska's own 16-game unbeaten streak on New Year's Eve, 2005, with a 5-3 victory at Sullivan Arena. In each case, the record had been 15-0-1 over the course of the streak.

As they did Wednesday, the Salmon Kings scored first, as Dan Gendur ripped a centering pass from former Aces Olivier Filion past Alaska starter Jean-Philippe Lamoureux with 8:07 left in the opening period. The score remained 1-0 in favor of the visitors until Lance Galbraith scored his second goal in as many games since returning from an injury by deflecting a shot past Jonathan Boutin six minutes into the second period. Wes Goldie pounced on a loose puck in the left circle and whistled it just underneath the crossbar at 9:32 for his league-leading 33rd goal of the year, and Victoria again enjoyed the lead at 2-1.

The game turned when Aces captain Scott Burt, already with the first of his two fighting majors on the night under his belt, scored off the rush on a wrist shot that beat Boutin blocker side with 5:48 left in the middle frame. 43 seconds later, another rush culminated in Luke Erickson's one-timer from the left circle off a crisp rinkwide pass by Galbraith, and Alaska took its first lead of the series at 3-2. Cam Keith scored on a breakaway in a four-on-four situation with 2:20 left in the period, and suddenly, the Aces had a two-goal lead.

Darryl Lloyd pulled the Salmon Kings within 4-3 at 7:38 of the final period, flipping a loose puck in the slot after a face-off past Lamoureux, but Alaska stifled Victoria in the final five minutes and sealed its rookie goaltender's league-leading 17th win when Fabian scored an empty-netter with 64 seconds remaining. The Aces (22-14-2) have climbed within nine points of the division-leading Salmon Kings (26-10-3), who gave up more than three goals in a game for the first time since November 22. With each club now having won four of the first eight meetings, the teams collide in the series finale tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m, with live coverage on KFQD AM 750 getting underway 15 minutes prior to the opening puck drop.

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