Alaska Snaps Victoria Streak at 15
Published on January 15, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Alexandre Imbeault scored the game-tying goal with 2:15 left in regulation, and Marek Schwarz shut Victoria out the rest of the way as the Alaska Aces ended the second-longest winning streak in ECHL history with a 3-2 shootout victory in front of 3,827 Wednesday at Sullivan Arena.
The Salmon Kings entered the contest with 15 straight wins, all in regulation (a league record), by a combined score of 68-21, with just one of those victories decided by one goal. Victoria had also swept Alaska in their last three-game series just before Christmas and needed two wins this week to tie the ECHL mark, three to break it; instead, only a 16-game unbeaten streak will be on the line when the teams play again Friday night at 7:15 p.m. Coincidentally, the Salmon Kings snapped Alaska's own 16-game unbeaten streak Dec. 31, 2005, with a 5-3 victory at Sullivan Arena.
The first period of Wednesday's game offered a combined eight shots on goal, with Victoria scoring first at 6:51, on a power play one-timer rifled past Aces starter Marek Schwarz by Olivier Filion, making his return to Anchorage for the first time since departing the club after the final of his four seasons in 2008. Alaska tied the game with less than a minute to play in the opening period when Lance Galbraith, returning to the lineup for the first time since being hurt in a game against the Salmon Kings Dec. 20, redirected a centering pass from Tomas Kana through the wickets of Victoria goalie Julien Ellis.
The Salmon Kings out-shot the Aces 18-7 in the second period and regained the lead with 1:40 left in the frame when a shot from the point by Patrick Coulombe was tipped and sailed over the right shoulder of Schwarz. Imbeault's equalizer came off the rush after a centering pass by Colin Hemingway was tipped and landed on the former's tape, leading to a virtual tap-in, Imbeault's 12th goal of the year (second only to Hemingway on the team).
After a scoreless overtime, Schwarz stopped all four Victoria attempts in the shootout while Kana and Luke Erickson converted for Alaska, now 12-5-1 at home and 21-14-2 overall. The teams will practice Thursday and line up again Friday and Saturday night at 7:15 p.m. Both contests will be broadcast live on KFQD AM 750, with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to the opening face-off.
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