Avs in playoffs, but there’s still work to be done

PALMER — The Alaska Avalanche are in the playoffs, but there’s still plenty of work ahead.

Alaska, on a quest to snap a three-game losing skid, hits the home ice tonight at the MTA Palmer Ice Arena for the first of two straight against the Wenatchee Wild.

The puck drops at 7:30 tonight and Saturday.

The Avs have been on the verge of clinching one of the four playoff berths in the North American Hockey League West Division and Dawson Creek officially punched the Avs’ ticket with a 6-2 loss to West-leading Fairbanks Thursday night. But for Alaska head coach Brian Huebel, the focus has been on getting his team to play better hockey. Thursday night, before that Dawson Creek game went final, Huebel said that, regardless of where the Avs sit in the playoff race, it’s time to take care of business.

“It’s time to buckle down, get focused and play some good hockey,” Huebel said. “It can be as simple as going out there and playing hard.”

Making the playoffs is one thing. But Huebel said he wants the Avs riding some momentum into the postseson.

“We want to be rolling pretty good,” Huebel said.

Even though the Avs are in, there’s still room for movement in the top four. Fairbanks and Wenatchee have already clinched. The first-place Ice Dogs (33-12-2) have created some space at the top with six straight wins and sit nine points ahead of second-place Wenatchee (28-17-3). Only two points separate the Wild and the third-place Avs (27-21-3). Wins this weekend would move Alaska a step closer to grabbing a top-2 spot, which guarantees home ice during the first round of the playoffs.

But in order for the team to have success, Alaska needs to grab onto what led the Avs to their 27 victories.

“Getting back to playing our brand of hockey,” Huebel said. “Buying into blocking shots, doing those little gritty things.”

Plus, being mentally strong, Huebel said.

“At this point of the season, it’s mental,” Huebel said. “It’s going to be a big test. We’ve got to be mentally prepared.”

The Avs and Wild each have three victories in six meetings this year, with the teams splitting three different two-game series’ this year. Wenatchee has needed extra hockey to beat the Avs twice. Wenatchee beat Alaska in overtime in early December and needed a shootout to slip by the Avs in early February.

Alaska won the last meeting 3-2.

Thanks to the Dawson Creek loss to Fairbanks Thursday, the Avs can now finish no lower than fourth in the West. Alaska currently sits 11 points ahead of the Rage. With only five games left, Dawson can only make up 10 points in the standings. The Rage can still jump Kenai River (23-21-5), which stands at fourth with 51 points.