Aces sweep Stockton for fourth win in five games
November 16, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE - Niklas Lundstrom made 27 saves while the line combination of Brendan Connolly, Jason Gregoire and Chris Francis combined for six points to help the Alaska Aces sweep the Stockton Thunder in a 3-1 victory at Sullivan Arena on Sunday.
The win was the fourth in five games for the Aces, who snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period on goals by Olivier Archambault and Francis (power play goal). The Aces improved to 17-4-0 in the last 21 lifetime regular season games against Stockton and jumped the Utah Grizzlies into fifth place in the Pacific Division.
Archambault, who leads ECHL rookies in scoring, earned his 16th point in 15 games to move into a tie for the league's overall scoring lead (shared with Riley Brace, Shawn Szydlowski and Anthony Luciani).
Gregoire bolted to the front of the net while the Aces attacked the offensive zone with speed and finished Chris Francis' feed at the goal mouth, at 3:07 of the first period for a 1-0 lead and his fourth goal of the season. But a Justin Johnson elbowing penalty enabled Stockton to tie the game, 1-1 with 6:03 left in the period on Ryan Constant's wrister from the left point.
The Aces, using the second period to their advantage in the recent week (8-1 scoring advantage over opposing teams in the last four games) continued to capitalize with two more goals and assume the 3-1 lead. After a power play expired, Brad Richard's drive from the point was deflected to Archambault, who buried the puck past Shane Owen's blocker for his ninth goal at 8:13.
Stockton threatened to turn the game around off a block and subsequent Tyler Maxwell breakaway, but Lundstrom read the forehand deke to perfection and made a right pad save to preserve the one-goal lead. Then with 4:50 left, Gregoire set up Francis at the right circle, who fired a snap shot past Owen for a 3-1 lead.
Following a pattern from the previous two days, the Aces kept Stockton's chances limited in the third and yielded just six shots to preserve the two goal cushion. Successive penalties by Peter Sivak and Lukas Sutter put the Aces on a 5-on-3 power play, using possession to end the game.
Owen made 34 saves and the Aces sent Stockton to their eighth road loss in nine games.
NOTES: The Aces scratched Colton Jobke, Jacob Doty, Bryan Cameron, Andy Bathgate and Zach Pochiro ... the Aces, leading the league in shots on goal per game (35.1), outshot Stockton 37-28 in the game ... Francis' multi point game improved his total to 20 points in 25 lifetime games against Stockton ... defenseman Brad Richard earned a point in his last eight of nine games.
The victory gives the Aces a winning trajectory heading into a 12-day layoff which ends Nov. 28 for their next game, hosting the Idaho Steelheads at Sullivan Arena. Opening face-off is 7:15 p.m. (GCI/KFQD) and tickets are available at the Aces offices, www.alaskaaces.com/tickets, Ticketmaster.com and local Fred Meyer locations.
For Kelly Cup championship merchandise, 2014-15 season tickets, corporate sponsorship packages, and more information, please call 907-258-ACES. The Aces can also be visited on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alaskaaceshockey or on Twitter, @AlaskaAces.
Three Stars:
1. AK - N. Lundstrom
2. AK - J. Gregoire
3. STK - R. Constant
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