WASILLA — The defending North American Hockey League West Division champion Fairbanks Ice Dogs needed a shootout to edge the Alaska Avalanche 5-4 at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla on Friday.

Johan Skinners and Jon Larson lifted pucks above the shoulder of Alaska goalie Landon Peterson during the tiebreaker to give Fairbanks the win.

Skating with the extra attacker, Alaska scored the game-tying goal with 1:27 left in regulation. Forward Nardo Nagtzaam squeezed a shot from the point past Fairbanks goaltender Jake Williams to net the score at 4. Trailing 2-0 in the second, the Avs scored three times during a four-minute stretch to take the temporary lead. First-year forward Jacob Barber chased down a loose puck and scored a short breakaway to put the Avs on the scoreboard at the 10:16 mark of the second period. Berklley Scott and Blake Huppert knocked pucks in the net during a 56-second span midway through the period to give the Avs the temporary lead.

Fairbanks tied the score late in the second with Michael Juola’s power-play tally. Jared Larson scored on another Ice Dogs power play early in the third to give Fairbanks the lead.

Alaska had numerous chances late, but was unable to slip a fifth puck into the net. The Avs outshot the Dogs 45-27 in the game, 18-9 in the third and 9-0 during the overtime frame.

The teams meet again Saturday at 7 p.m.