Imbeault Hat Trick Helps End Slide
December 28, 2008 - ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release
LAS VEGAS - Alexandre Imbeaut registered the first hat trick of his pro career as Alaska built a 3-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 triumph in Las Vegas that ended a four-game losing streak in front of 4,537 at Orleans Arena.
With the victory, the third-place Aces (17-11-1) kept place with the top two teams in the West, as Victoria won its ninth straight game at Stockton and Idaho beat Utah in overtime. Alaska had lost five of its previous six games on the road and nine of 14 overall coming into the contest, its first in a full week.
Las Vegas had supposedly shook off its holiday rust with a 3-1 win over Phoenix on Friday, but the Aces looked much sharper in the first period Saturday, scoring at 9:36 of the opening period when Tomas Kana, who had arrived from Alaska's AHL affiliate in Peoria only hours earlier, found a wide-open Imbeault in the slot from behind the net. Imbeault's one-timer marked the beginning of a rough stretch for Wranglers starter Kevin Lalande, who gave up power play goals 52 seconds apart later in the period, the first of which was scored by Imbeault and the second coming on another well-timed feed from behind the net, with Brett Hemingway assisting on Nick Tuzzolino's second goal of the year.
Leading 3-0 with less than a minute to play in the first period, the Aces allowed Vegas a glimmer of hope when Shawn Limpright scored from point blank range at 19:19. A nearly identical goal by Limpright 54 seconds into the second period brought the Wranglers within 3-2, but Imbeault's third goal of the night, and Alaska's third of the evening on the power play, pushed the margin back to 4-2 with 3:30 remaining in the middle frame. The Aces had come into the game mired in a 1-for-31 funk on the man advantage over their last six games, but finished 3-for-6 while holding Vegas scoreless in seven opportunities.
The Wranglers managed a significant push in the third period, out-shooting Alaska 16-6 and cutting the gap to 4-3 when Peter Ferraro scored just his second goal of the season. But Jean-Philippe Lamoureux preserved the win with 32 saves, including 15 over the final 20 minutes alone, to claim just his third win in 10 starts. The Aces will be looking to go 4-0 against Las Vegas (12-14-2) this season when the teams meet again tomorrow at 1:05 p.m. Imbeault (4g-3a) and Colin Hemingway (2g-6a after assisting on three goals Saturday) have combined for 15 points in the three previous wins over the Wranglers this year. Peanut Farm Pre-Game Show coverage on KFQD AM 750 will start tomorrow at 12:45 p.m.
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