Avs power past Wenatchee Wild

WENATCHEE, Wash. — During Alaska’s recent rush to the top of the North American Hockey League West Division standings, the Avs used stellar special teams play to propel themselves into first place. The Avs used their speed and skill to score power-play goals and shorthanded tallies in bunches.

On Friday night, it was a different story. Alaska finished with the big goose egg with the advantage, despite nine power-play chances. But on Saturday, Alaska recaptured that special teams swagger.

The Avs scored three times on the power play and added a shorthanded tally during a 5-4 win over the Wenatchee Wild at the Toyota Town Center in Wenatchee, Wash.

“I just kind of told them, move the puck quicker. We were allowing their penalty kill to step up,” Alaska assistant coach Sean Fish said by cell phone from Washington after the win. “We got a few very good bounces as well, but I give all the credit to the guys on the power play.”

Ross Pavek, Andy Pearson and Derek Whitehill each netted power-play goals to help the first-place Avs improve to 18-11-1. Pavek also scored even-strength and Matt Friese added a shorthanded goal in the win.

Alaska scored the victory despite missing four players from its lineup — its top two scorers, top defenseman and team captain. Jake Barber, Brandon Brossoit, Zach Smith and Jake Williams were all en route to Massachusetts Saturday night, where they will participate in the NAHL Top Prospects tournament which starts today.

“We had some big-time guys out of the lineup, but we had a lot of guys step up and fill in,” Fish said.

Pavek, who entered the game with only two goals in his first 11 games with the Avs, scored twice. Pearson collected a goal and two assists, and Whitehill added a goal and an assist.

Alaska erased deficits twice during the win. Carl-Johan Sjogren gave the Wild the early lead, but Pavek scored late in the first to tie the game at 1.

Michael DiPuma scored for Wenatchee midway through the second to give the Wild the lead, but Whitehill tied the game at 3 with a power-play score later in the period.

DiPuma scored again in the third to give the Wild back the lead. But added the game-tying goal and the winner during a 66-second span in the third period.

Pearson scored on the power play to tie the game, and Friese netted the shorthanded game-winner 1:06 later.

Rookie Blake Mendenhall earned the win in net, stopping 29 Wenatchee shots.

“It was a gritty win,” Fish said.

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

Alaska 5, Wenatchee 4

Saturday, Toyota Town Center

First period — 1. Wenatchee- Sjogren (Hope, Huson) 6:21; 2. Alaska- Pavek (Whitehill, Pearson) 18:49.

Second period — 3. Alaska- Briola (Pavek) pp 0:33; 4. Wenatchee- Vandercook (Hope) 2:31; 5. Wenatchee- DiPuma (Cope, Wallace) 7:47; 6. Alaska- Whitehill (Pearson) pp 15:13.

Third period — 7. DiPuma (Sjogren) pp 3:21; 8. Alaska- Pearson (unassisted) pp 9:12; 9. Alaska- Friese (unassisted) sh 10:18.

Shots on goal: Alaska 11-6-9—26, Wenatchee 8-13-12—33; Saves: Alaska- Mendenhall 7-11-11—29, Wenatchee- Kulmanovsky 10-4-7—21; Power plays: Alaska 3-for-6, Wenatchee 1-for-8; Penalties: Alaska 8-for-16, Wenatchee 6-for-12.

Wenatchee 3, Alaska 2 OT

Friday, Toyota Town Center

First period — no scoring.

Second period — 1. Alaska- Barber (Pearson) 14:25; 2. Wenatchee- Mejia (Saylor, Allan) 17:19.

Third period — 3. Alaska- Friese (Huppert) 9:45; 4. Wenatchee- Sjogren (Carey, Vandercook) pp ea 19:38.

Overtime — 5. Wenatchee- Hope (Grauer) 2:21.

Shots on goal: Alaska 13-12-19-3—47, Wenatchee 10-10-7-3—30; Saves: Alaska- Peterson 10-9-6-2—27, Wenatchee- Kulmanovsky 13-12-18-3—45; Power plays: Alaska 0-for-9, Wenatchee 1-for-6; Penalties: Alaska 8-for-19, Wenatchee 11-for-25.