Avalanche set to host division leaders

Dec. 19, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - It's a good thing the Alaska Avalanche had an opportunity to rest the legs.

After having the last 10 days off, the Avalanche face the Santa Fe RoadRunners, a team currently at the top of the North American Hockey League's South Division, tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Menard Memorial Ice Arena. And if that task is not enough, the game is the first of five in the next five days for the Avs.

&#8220We're coming into a big stretch,” Alaska coach and general manager Keith Morris said. &#8220Five days - it's almost unheard of to play that many days in a row.”

Alaska has two at home against the RoadRunners - the Avs also host Santa Fe tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. - and then it's north to Fairbanks for three more.

&#8220This will be a real big test,” Morris said.

Santa Fe skates into the Menard Arena with a 21-5-4 mark, on the heels of losing a pair of games in the Interior to the Ice Dogs.

The RoadRunners sandwiched a 4-0 victory with a pair of losses in Fairbanks. On Thursday, the Ice Dogs need a shootout to upset Santa Fe 4-3. On Saturday, Fairbanks earned a 3-1 win.

Alaska has not taken the ice since falling to the Texas Tornado 4-3 in shootout on Dec. 9.

The extra time has allowed the Avalanche to put together some quality practice time, Morris said.

Now with six games under his belt acting as the lead man on the bench, Morris, who took over as the interim head coach after former mentors Dean Larson and Corey Millen abruptly quit, said the Avs have done a few things to better align the team with his hockey

philosophies.

&#8220We've tinkered with the forecheck, done some different things with the power play,” Morris said. &#8220But in the end, hockey's hockey.”

Specifics aside, the Avs aim to limit their mistakes and not let a talented offensive club strike gold. Santa Fe has scored 110 goals this year, good enough for third-best in the NAHL.

But the RoadRunners are stingy too. Santa Fe has allowed a league-low 62 goals, and is best in the league on the penalty kill. Santa Fe is currently the only squad in the 17-team league that can boast a penalty kill percentage above 90.

Leading the RoadRunners on the offensive side are forwards Tibor Kutalek (21 goals, 16 assists, 37 points), Jason Krispel (8-22-30) and Josh Kamrass (13-15-28).

&#8220They're very skilled, very quick,” Morris said. &#8220Their top six forwards could be some of the top forwards in the league.”

Alaska is rested, but still working on getting healthy. Still out of the lineup are the Avs' captain, blueliner Jeff Dimmen, and their leading goal scorer, forward Brad McCabe.

Dimmen, who suffered a torn hamstring in November, has returned to practice and could be in the lineup in the new few weeks.

McCabe is still rehabilitating a knee injury in his hometown of Gearhart, Ore.

Also out is blueliner Clay Kasten.

Jesse Bryant is currently Alaska's points leader with seven goals and 15 assists. Victor Nordenson is averaging more than a point per game in 17 appearances in the Alaska lineup.

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