Avalanche dealt a Texas-sized heartache

Dec. 8, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Texas Tornado dominated play during a 4-1 win on Tuesday. But on Wednesday, the Tornado merely escaped the Menard Memorial Arena with a 4-2 victory.

In a contest that was seemingly destined for overtime, Tornado defenseman Jake Newton dealt the Avalanche a Texas-sized heartache, scoring the game-winning goal with just 16 seconds remaining in regulation.

John Bullis put the puck in an empty Alaska net eight seconds later making the once vulnerable Tornado untouchable.

Alaska forward Victor Nordenson scored twice in the game, giving the Avalanche a shot at beating the three-time defending North American Hockey League champions for the second time this season. But Nordenson was also on the receiving end of questionable call. The Stockholm, Sweden, native was whistled for high sticking with just 2 minutes and 2 seconds left in the game.

Nordenson, who has scored six points in his last five games, was caught tangled up with opponents away from the action, before being called for the penalty. On the ensuing power play, Newton flipped a shot from the point that ricocheted off an Avalanche player, and past goaltender Adam Kraus into the Alaska net.

The sequence of plays sort of spoiled solid performances by both Nordenson and Kraus.

Nordenson gave the Avs a 1-0 lead in the first, and tied the game with a power play goal in the third.

Kraus stopped 36 Texas shots, including 15 in the third and four on the Tornado's final power play.

&#8220We gave it all out there today, and deserved a little bit better fate,” Alaska coach and general manager Keith Morris said.

In Tuesday's loss, Alaska was out-shot 47-15 in the game, and 19-1 in the third period.

On Wednesday, Alaska did not allow Texas to dictate the pace of play.

&#8220Our guys came out and played with passion, played with effort and worked tremendously hard,” Morris said. &#8220I'm very happy with their effort.”

That effort showed most notably in a fast first period in which the Avalanche forwards created opportunities on the forecheck.

Midway through the first, Travis Stevens stole the puck from Texas defenseman Troy Puente, and made a quick move past the blueliner, toward the Tornado net. Stevens had a decent angle on the goal, but quickly shifted the puck off to Nordenson, who buried it for Alaska's first score.

In the third period with the Avs working on the power play, Krystian Dziubinski cycled the puck over to Nordenson, who blasted it right underneath the cross bar to tie the game at 2-2.

On the game's final power play, the Alaska penalty kill unit forced the Texas shooters to the outside. Anchorage native Colin Long and Lyon Messier, the son of NHL great Mark Messier, each had shots from the point early in the power play.

With the game only about 20 seconds from overtime, forward Justin King took another shot from the point. The puck bounced off the pad of Kraus and dribbled out toward the blueline. Newton took a quick swipe at the puck, and flung it toward the net. The puck took an odd bounce, and got by an unsuspecting Kraus.

Alaska, now 10-17-3 overall, has one more crack at the Tornado. The Avs host Texas on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Menard Arena. Texas improved to 16-8-3 with the win.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.