Aces Win 7-6 in OT after Rallying from 3 Goals Down--Again
January 31, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - After two missed penalty shots, three multi-goal deficits overcome, and seven third period goals, Vladimir Novak scored the game-winning goal 29 seconds into overtime as Alaska rallied from a 6-3 deficit to beat Ontario 7-6 Friday before 4,643 Sullivan Arena.
The Aces have lost just one of their last 11 games (8-1-2) and extended their unbeaten streak to seven (6-0-1) with their second comeback from three goals behind in the final period in six days. Last Saturday in Stockton, Alaska rallied from a 4-1 deficit with less than six minutes to play and earned a point in a 5-4 shootout loss. Friday's comeback may have been more impressive, considering the Aces had to shake off the effects of blowing a 3-1 lead themselves against an Ontario club that came into the game ranked fifth in the ECHL in goals against (2.66).
Alaska starter Jean-Philippe Lamoureux began the night with an impressive glove save on a penalty shot taken by Jon Rheault at 6:45 of the first period. An Aces turnover in their own end just six minutes later, however, was converted by Rheault into an unassisted goal and a 1-0 lead for the Reign. Scott Burt scored for the fourth consecutive game with 3:42 left before the break to forge a 1-1 tie after the opening 20 minutes.
Cam Keith scored the first of his two goals on the power play at 7:54 of the second period, and when Lance Galbraith followed with a wrist shot from an impossible angle that glanced off Ontario goalie John Murray's left shoulder and into the net with 4:56 left in the middle frame, Alaska seemingly had control at 3-1. But Reign captain Jon Francisco pulled his club to within 3-2 a little over a minute later, setting the stage for a wild third period.
The Aces had not been penalized all night, but two quick calls against them early in the final stanza led to the first of two five-on-three power play goals for P.J. Atherton, whose drive from the point trickled between Lamoureux's pads at 2:14, evening the contest at 3-3. 27 seconds later, Burt was stopped by Murray on a penalty shot, and after the second of Keith's two penalties early in the third period, Geoff Walker scored on a wrist shot from the left circle, giving Ontario a 4-3 lead at 4:04. Four minutes later, Chris Curran scored on a breakaway, tucking a backhander between the pads of Lamoureux, and another blast from the point by Atherton pushed the margin to 6-3 with 10:32 left in regulation.
As he did last Saturday, Luke Erickson triggered the comeback with his eighth goal in 12 games and 13th of the season at 11:20. Keith's second goal of the night on a rebound of a Josh Soares shot barely a minute later cut the gap to 6-5 and forced a timeout from Reign head coach Karl Taylor. (Soares had arrived in Anchorage Friday morning and saw his first ECHL action since Nov. 14 after a 27-game stint with Alaska's AHL affiliate in Peoria).
The timeout granted Ontario a 52-second reprieve, as Brett Hemingway, operating from behind the Reign net, tucked a backhander through the pads of Murray for the equalizer with 6:40 remaining. The three-goal lead for the visitors had evaporated in exactly two minutes. Ontario held on until overtime, when Novak's goal came off the rush, a wrist shot that beat Murray glove side.
The Aces, now 3-1 in overtime and winnners of five in a row at home, leaving them 26-14-3 overall, have climbed within seven points of West Division leader Victoria while playing two fewer games. Alaska has beaten the Reign (23-15-4) in four of five meetings this season heading into tomorrow's series finale at 7:15 p.m. The rematch will be broadcast live on KFQD AM 750, with the Peanut Farm Pre-Game Show getting underway 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.
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