Avalanche look to continue recent success against Ice Dogs

WASILLA — Last season, the Alaska Avalanche could only muster a single win over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. And there’s wasn’t much more success the season before, with only two wins against their chief rival during the 2007-2008 campaign.

But it’s a new season and a new season series. And after two games, the Avs are 1-0-1 against the Dogs.

After taking three of a possible four points during a two-game series last weekend, Alaska will have two more shots at Fairbanks when the Avs host the Ice Dogs in another two-game set that starts tonight at 8 p.m. at the Curtis C. Menard II Ice Arena in Wasilla.

“The guys are looking forward to playing them again,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said earlier this week.

Boitz said there’s certainly a new-found confidence when it comes to playing Fairbanks.

“Especially the guys who have been there,” Boitz said. “The new guys, it’s just another game.”

Now that it appears Alaska has the Fairbanks monkey off its back, Boitz said the game plan know centers around putting together a complete weekend. Recently, the trend has been to play not so great one night and really good the next.

“We’re still trying to figure out how to play two really good games in a row,” Boitz said.

Even though the Avs have had their fair share of sub-par performances early in the season, the good news is, Alaska is still finding way to earn points in the standings.

Alaska has secured at least three points in three straight weekends. That has helped Alaska stay firmly in second place of the North American Hockey League West Division standings. With 26 points and an 11-3-4 mark, Alaska still stands five points ahead of third-place Fairbanks (10-8-1).

Alaska outshot Fairbanks 92-49 during the series last weekend, and put away four power-play goals. Forward Nardo Nagtzaam recorded two goals and two assists, to push his team-high totals to 11-9-20. Forwards Jacob Barber and Berkley Scott also scored twice for the Avs.

Next week, Alaska returns to the road for a quick, two-game set against Kenai River at the Soldotna Sports Center.

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