Aces win 4-2, take 2-0 series lead
April 25, 2005 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
Long Beach, Calif. â B.J. Young snapped a 2-2 tie with 7:41 remaining and Joe Talbot scored an insurance goal barely a minute later as Alaska moved within a game of the National Conference Finals with a 4-2 victory at Long Beach Saturday in front of 3,241.
Mike Scott took advantage of a Long Beach turnover in its own zone to give the Aces an early lead, blasting a one-timer by Ice Dogs goalie Olivier Michaud just 46 seconds into the game. Peter Aubry made his only mistake of an otherwise spotless performance between the Alaska pipes when he tried to clear a puck through the middle later in the first period. David Walker knocked the clearing attempt down and snapped the puck into the exposed net in one motion to tie the game 1-1 at 13:36. Ryan Gaucher polished off a give-and-go with Chris Minard to push the Aces back in front 49 seconds later, but Evan Cheverie scored on an odd-man rush to lift the Ice Dogs back into a 2-2 deadlock just 17 seconds before intermission.
Long Beach dominated much of the next 30 minutes but never grabbed the lead against Aubry, who finished with 36 saves and gave his team a chance even while being out-shot 38-25. The game-winner came when Vladimir Novak won a draw back to defenseman Mike Jones, whose slapper was punched home by Young on a rebound at 12:19. Moments later, Charles Linglet danced around ex-UAA stand-out Matt Shasby and slipped a centering pass to Talbot, who flipped a backhander by Michaud to account for the final margin.
The Aces, now armed with a commanding two games to none lead in the best-of-five West Division Finals, will try to wrap up the series Monday night before a sell-out crowd in Anchorage at 7:15 p.m. Games Four and Five, if those contests are needed, will be played at Sullivan Arena Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29 at 7:15 p.m. All three games, if necessary, also will be made available on a pay-per-view basis at www.alaskaaces.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. For additional 2005 Kelly Cup playoff information or 2005-06 season tickets, please call 258-ACES.
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