Avs cap road trip with win over Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. — It’s been 45 days since the Alaska Avalanche played a game on their home ice, 38 days since they’ve had a game anywhere in their home state.

But the Avs are almost home.

After a seven-game road trip that dates bck to Dec. 30, the Palmer-based North American Hockey League squad will be back in Alaska when the Avs drop the puck on a two-game series against the Kenai River Brown Bears that starts Thursday at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna.

The Avs, who return home to the MTA Events Center in Palmer to host a three-game set against Fairbanks Jan. 26-28, capped it’s road trip with a 3-1 win over the Fresno Monsters in Fresno, Calif., on Sunday.

Three different players scored and goalie Nick Kulmanovsky stopped 19 shots to help Alaska improve to 25-12-3. The first-place Avalanche also moved four points ahead of second-place Fairbanks (21-8-7) in the standings.

Alaska outshot Fresno 12-3 in the first period, but didn’t find the back of the net until late in the frame. With two minutes remaining in the first, Kevin Novakovich scored to give the Avs the 1-0 lead.

Fresno tied the scored with a shorthanded tally early in the second, but 10 minutes later, rookie forward Jordan Watt gave the lead back to the Avalanche.

Evan Hesse helped ice the game with a goal late in the third period.

Brandon Brossoit led the Avs with two assists in the win.

Alaska 3, Fresno 1

Sunday, Fresno

First period — 1. Alaska- Novakovich (Janssen, Dau) 18:35.

Second period — 2. Fresno- Bushinski (Bradley) sh 4:38; 3. Alaska- Watt (Novakovich, Brossoit) 14:26.

Third period — 4. Alaska- Hesse (Brossoit, Nelson) 17:58.

Shots on goal: Alaska 12-11-4—27, Fresno 3-10-7—20; Saves: Alaska- Kulmanovsky 3-9-7—19, Fresno- Sholl 11-10-3—24; Power plays: Alaska 0 for 4, Fresno 0 for 4.