Avs goalie backstops win over Wild

By JEREMIAH BARTZ
Frontiersman

WENATCHEE, Wash. — Now, that’s what the Alaska Avalanche want to see from their prized young goalie.

Nick Kulmanovsky, who turned 18 on Sept. 12, stopped 36 shots to backstop Alaska’s 2-1 win over the Wenatchee Wild at the Toyota Town Center in Wenatchee, Wash., on Friday.

Kulmanovsky didn’t allow an even-strength goal as he improved to 2-2-0 this season, and lowered his goals against average to 1.76. The Fairbanks native, who has a career 2.70 GAA, now has nine wins in 19 career starts in North American Hockey League games.

Forward Mitch Kontny and defensemen Patrick Kinkopf scored to help Alaska improve to 2-2-1 and earn a victory in its first game of the season against an NAHL West rival.

Kontny scored on the power play with 31 seconds left in the first period to give the Avs the 1-0 lead. Kinkopf, who was acquired from Wenatchee in a trade with the Wild stepped up from the blue line to put a puck past Wenatchee goalie Greg Lewis early in the third to push Alaska’s lead to a pair of goals.

Kontny recorded an assist on the Kinkopf goal.

Alaska, which returns to the state to play Kenai River on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, suffered a 3-0 loss to the Wild Saturday night.

Alaska 2, Wenatchee 1

Friday, Wenatchee, Wash.

First period — 1. Alaska- Kontny (Schmitz, Krebsbach) pp 19:29.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 2. Alaska- Kinkopf (Kontny) 2:19; 3. Wenatchee- Cope (Pauly, Sayler) pp 8:05.

Shots on goal: Alaska 9-7-7—23, Wenatchee 14-12-11—37; Saves: Alaska- Kulmanovsky 14-12-10—36, Wenatchee- Lewis 8-7-6—23; Power plays: Alaska 1 for 5, Wenatchee 1 for 8.

Wenatchee 3, Alaska 0

Saturday, Wenatchee, Wash.

First period — 1. Wenatchee- Johnson (Duesenberg, Pauly) 9:18; 2. Wenatchee- Johnson (Pauly, Duesenberg) 15:58.

Second period — 3. Wenatchee- Carey (Tafoya, Kerr) pp 3:32.

Third period — no scoring.

Shots on goal: Alaska 5-14-11—30, Wenatchee 17-10-13—40; Alaska- Kulmanovsky 15-9-13—37, Wenatchee- Nichols 5-14-11—30; Power plays: Alaska 0 for 7, Wenatchee 1 for 7.