Avs forward honored by league

PALMER — With three goals and an assist during Alaska’s three-game series with the Kenai River Brown Bears last week, forward Zach Smith cemented his place in Avalanche franchise history.

The Anchorage native used those points to become the second skater to top 100 points during his Avalanche career. On Monday, Smith was named the North American Hockey League West Division Player of the Week.

Alaska head coach Brian Huebel applauded the work of the third-year forward during his Avalanche career, but admitted such an honor is a bit of a double-edged sword.

“It’s a catch-22. In juniors, you want to be gone as soon as you can, but obviously for the right reasons,” Huebel said.

But Smith, who skated for a season at Service High before landing a spot on the highly regarded Belle Tire midget program in Midwestern Elite Hockey League, has taken advantage of his three years in Alaska’s Tier II Junior A program. With the four points against Kenai River, Smith now has 102 in his career. Kyle Pichler, another Anchorage skater who now plays Division III hockey at Castleton State College in Vermont, is the Avs’s career leader with 104.

Smith tallied 14 goals and 10 assists during his first season with the Avs, 2008-09. Last season, he led the club in scoring with 30-18-48 totals. This year, Smith is averaging a point per game, 14-16-30 totals in 30 games.

Smith was sidelined a few weeks with an injury early in the year, but Huebel said the team captain continues to get back to be the consistent force the Avs have become accustomed to.

“He’s played really well, getting better and better every day,” Huebel said.

Smith is on a line that’s also clicking, joining a pair of Valley products — Matt Friese and Blake Huppert — to create problems for other teams.

“They were really dominate (against Kenai). That was good to see,” Huebel said.

Huebel said Smith, Huppert (11-22-33) and Friese (12-11-23 in 15 games) each have their unique identities and need to play to that form, but the combination is working.

Huebel said Smith, his team captain, also brings a calming presence to the locker room.

“When he talks, the guys usually listen,” Huebel said.

He also can bring a tremendous physical presence to the ice.

Goalie makes 59 saves

Alaska goalie Landon Peterson stopped 59 shots last Friday during a 3-1 win over Kenai River. It marked the second most saves collected by an Avalanche goalie in a game in franchise history.

Peterson made 20 stops in the first and 27 more in the second en route to his career-high 59-save performance. It marked the 13th time in franchise history that a goalie recorded 50 or more saves.

Former Alaska goaltender Dusan Sidor stopped a record 61 shots during a 5-2 loss to Fairbanks March 29, 2008.

Peterson is currently second in the NAHL with 876 saves. He’s also tied for the league lead with 19 wins. His 2.65 goals against average ranks him 12th, and he is ninth with a saves percentage of .915.