Avalanche looks to take series lead

WENATCHEE, Wash. — The Alaska Avalanche would love to think about a weekend sweep and the chance to skate in the second round of the North American Hockey League playoffs.

But in reality, all the Avs can think about is tonight and their third game of a best-of-five first-round playoff series with the Wenatchee Wild.

“The big thing is Friday night,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said Thursday evening. “We need to take care of Friday night.”

With a win over the Wild tonight at the Toyota Center in Wenatchee, Wash., the Avs move one step closer to return to Alaska to face either Fairbanks or Kenai River in the NAHL Division Championship series.

Alaska and Wenatchee are guaranteed at least two more games in the series, thanks to the last weekend’s split, and will play on Sunday if necessary.

Fairbanks swept Kenai River in the Interior last weekend in the other West Division series, and the Ice Dogs could seal the series with a win at the Soldotna Sports Center tonight.

Alaska used a 4-3 overtime victory last Friday o jump out to the series lead. Wenatchee answered with an 8-2 victory the following night.

“We had to at least come out with a split,” Boitz said. “Getting out of there with that first win was big. It puts some pressure on them, and obviously they responded.”

Second-year forward Kyle Pichler scored three of Alaska’s five goals during the first two games of the series. On Friday, he gave the Avs the 3-2 lead in the third and supplied the game-winner 26 seconds into overtime.

He also gave the Avs the 1-0 lead with a first-period score on Saturday.

“He had a great weekend,” Boitz said. “He was just playing his game, His job is to put the puck in the net.”

Corey Belisle and Sean McNeely also scored for Avs during the weekend.

Following Pichler’s goal on Saturday, Wenatchee scored twice in the second and three times in the third to take the 5-1 lead. Belisle made it 5-2, and Boitz said even at that point, the Avs truly believed they were still in the game.

“We never really thought we were out of it until it was 6-2,” Boitz said.

D.J. Vandercook gave the Wild the 6-2 lead midway through the third.

Wenatchee scored three times on the power play on Saturday, and Alaska took three penalties during a three-minute stretch in the second. Boitz felt that was the different in the game.

“That took the momentum,” Boitz said.

As the Avs look toward tonight, they know grabbing the momentum early will be key.

“We need to come out with a bunch of energy,” Boitz said. “I think the first period will be the judge. If we weather that storm, we’ll be just fine.”

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