Avs fall in Canada shootout

DAWSON CREEK, BC — It may have been long plane ride and even longer bus ride from Southcentral Alaska to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada, or maybe it was the dozen-day break between games. Regardless, the Alaska Avalanche started off slow Thursday night.

Dawson Creek jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and held on to grab a 3-2 shootout win over the Avs at the Encana Events Center in Dawson Creek.

Dawson’s Jason Wark and Troy Petrick scored first-period goals to give the Rage the early 2-0 lead in the first contest of a three-game set in Dawson.

Andy Pearson and Matt Friese scored for the Avs in the loss.

Alaska owned a 6-2 record during its first eight games of the season against the Rage, but before leaving for Canada, Alaska head coach Brian Huebel warned the Rage can’t be taken lightly.

“They’ve got two very good goaltenders, and they’re starting to score some goals,” Huebel said before the Avs road trip, which also includes two games in Wenatchee, Wash., next week. “(Dawson) has the potential to create havoc.”

Dawson improved to 16-25-2 with the win and remains in fifth place of the North American Hockey League West Division standings. Alaska, despite the loss, picked up a point with the standings by playing into the shootout. The Avs (25-16-2) stay in second, four points behind first-place Fairbanks.

Trailing by two, Pearson knocked a puck into the net just more than three minutes into the second to cut Dawson’s lead in half. A pair of Anchorage products, Grant Dye and Connor Wright, assisted on the play.

With less than six minutes left in regulation, Friese scored for the 15th time in 18 games to tie the score at 2.

That goal forced overtime and after playing a scoreless extra period, Dawson Creek converted its first three chances during the shootout to score the win. Zac Ashdown, Carter Page and Dakota Mason each found the back of the net during the tiebreaker for the Rage.

Alaska’s Jake Williams and Brandon Brossoit scored during the shootout, but the Avs couldn’t get another goal to force another shooter.

Alaska outshot Dawson 39-37 in the game. Landon Peterson recorded 34 saves in the loss. Dawson’s Edward Dyson had 37 in the win. The teams meet again tonight and on Sunday.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.