Avs pound Dogs

WASILLA — On Friday, the Alaska Avalanche saw an early lead disappear and a tie game quickly turn into a four-goal loss to the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.

When the Ice Dogs scored a pair of goals during the first six minutes of the third period on Saturday, Alaska head coach Dave Boitz could not help but think, “here we go again.”

But rather than watch the Ice Dogs skate off with the win once again, it was the Avalanche who prevailed.

Alaska scored a pair of unanswered goals and forward Matthew Friese posted the game-winner with 1:32 left in regulation to give the Avs the 4-3 win over Fairbanks, their first victory in 10 tries against the Ice Dogs this season.

“We finally got that monkey off our back,” Boitz said after the win.

Alaska suffered losses in its first nine games against Fairbanks this season and was riding a 16-game losing streak to the Ice Dogs that dates back to January of 2008.

But as Boitz said, all it takes is one win. During his time as head coach at North Iowa, the Outlaws had won 17 straight against the Bismarck Bobcats. But this season, Bismarck has won its last six against North Iowa.

“Once you get that monkey off your back, things can change for sure,” Boitz said.

Friese, a Wasilla High School product, put the Avs ahead when he pulled the puck off the wall in the Fairbanks zone, and smacked a shot by Fairbanks netminder Phil Cook during the final minutes of regulation.

“Matthew Friese was unbelievable tonight,” Boitz said.

Friese also set up Jake Parenteu’s game-tying goal with 10:34 left in the third.

Parenteu, who was out of the lineup during the loss on Friday, had a goal and an assist in the win. The blueliner’s presence, was especially crucial considering the injuries to Alaska’s back line. Jason Cohen missed the entire series, and blueliners Logan Maly and Beau Braun were both injured during Friday’s loss.

Kyle Pichler and Thomas Erlacher scored power-play goals during a seven-minute stretch during the second period to give the Avs the 2-1 lead, but Fairbanks’ Steve Zierke posted a power-play score four minutes into the third and Matt Mills gave the Ice Dogs the 3-2 lead just two minutes later.

But unlike Friday, the Avs had an answer for the Ice Dogs’ third-period scores.

“We battled back and found a way,” Boitz said.

On Friday, Erlacher scored on the power play with nine seconds left in the second period to tie the score at 2-2, but Mills, Drew Darwitz, Jared Larson and Austin Block all scored within a 14-minute span in the third to give the Ice Dogs the win.

Braden Kinnebrew scored on the power play 10 minutes into action to give the Avs the early 1-0 lead.

Thanks to Saturday’s win, the Avs improve to 18-22-2 overall. Alaska remains in third place in the North American Hockey League West Division with 38 points, but are now four points ahead of the fourth-place Kenai River Brown Bears, who were swept by Wenatchee over the weekend.

Wenatchee (24-17-2) is in second place with 50 points. Fairbanks (30-11-6) still stands as the top team in the West with 66 points.

Alaska hits the road this week for a six-game trip that starts Friday with a three-game series at Wichita Falls.

Alaska 4, Fairbanks 3

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Larson (Juola, Block) 3:19.

Second period — 2. Alaska- Pichler (Kinnebrew, Parenteu) pp 9:31, 3. Alaska- Erlacher (Pichler, Kinnebrew) pp (Pichler, Kinnebrew) 16:07.

Third period — 4. Fairbanks- Zierke (Martell, Kirtland) pp 4:47, 5. Fairbanks- Mills (Juola) 6:05, 6. Alaska- Parenteu (M. Friese) 9:16, 7. Alaska- M. Friese (Currier, Rounds) 18:28.

Shots on goal: Fairbanks 8-12-15—35, Alaska 10-9-9—28; Saves: Fairbanks- Cook 10-7-7—24, Alaska- Woodring 7-x-x—7, Pellegrino x-12-13—25; Power plays: Fairbanks 2-for-5, Alaska 2-for-6; Penalties:

Fairbanks 6, Alaska 2

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Alaska- Kinnebrew (Krueger, Nagtzaam) pp 10:44, 2. Fairbanks- Block (Larson, Waggoner) 16:32.

Second period — 3. Fairbanks- Block (Martell, Larson) 14:12, 4. Alaska- Erlacher (Pichler) pp 19:51.

Third period — 5. Fairbanks- Mills (Block) 2:39, 6. Fairbanks- Darwitz (Juola, Zierke) 6:55, 7. Fairbanks- Larson (Juoa, Block) pp 10:34, 8. Fairbanks- Block (Larson, Kirtland) 16:48.

Shots on goal: Fairbanks 17-16-11—44, Alaska 10-9-10—29; Saves: Fairbanks- Phillippi 9-8-10—27, Alaska- Pellegrino 16-15-7—38; Power plays: Fairbanks 1-for-6, Alaska 2-for-5; Penalties: Fairbanks 8-for-16, Alaska 9-for-18.