Avs rebound in shootout

WASILLA — The Alaska Avalanche and Kenai River Brown Bears have reached the point of the North American Hockey League season in which every point is crucial.

Alaska head coach Dave Boitz may argue that from now until the end of the season, every point is critical — especially against opponents within your own division.

Despite a chance for Alaska to move into second place of the NAHL West Division standings with a pair of weekend wins over Kenai River, it was actually the Brown Bears who moved into the second position, thanks to a 3-2 win over the Avalanche at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla.

Although the Avs did rebound on Saturday, scoring the 3-2 shootout win over the Bears, it was enough to keep Kenai River in second place.

Kenai’s win combined with Wenatchee’s loss to Wichita Falls on Friday forced the second-place tie. Wenatchee also lost to Wichita Falls on Saturday, falling 4-3 in a shootout. With shootout losses by both Kenai River (12-21-4) and Wenatchee (13-12-2), each team remained tied with 28 total points.

Alaska is now three points behind the Bears and Wild, at 12-18-1 with 25 points.

“With Wenatchee getting beat, the opportunities are there,” a frustrated Boitz said after Friday’s loss. “We laid it out for the guys the other day. We need the points.”

Forward Nardo Nagtzaam scored the game-clinching shootout goal to give the Avs the win. Zach Smith also found the back of the net in the tiebreaker.

Alaska goalie Nathaniel Pellegrino capped a stellar effort in net by finishing 4-for-4 in the shootout. Kenai’s Kyle Clay, Gustav Bengston, Jed McGlasson and Kevin Wentland each came up short in the shootout.

Pellegrino, who was acquired in a trade with Alpena earlier in the season, posted a 50 saves in a game that featured more than 100 shots.

Alaska outshot Kenai River 53-51 in the game.

Kenai goalie Jimmy Hamby was equally impressive with 50 saves in the loss.

Bengston gave the Bears the early lead, pushing the puck past Pellegrino at the 9:36 mark of the first period.

Alaska’s Logan Rounds put the Avs on the board early in the second, but former Kenai Central standout Brad Fusaro gave the Bears the 2-1 lead midway through the middle frame.

Brothers Matthew and Adam Friese connected midway through the third period to tie the score for the Avs. Matthew Friese, with help from Adam and defenseman Jake Parenteu, beat Kenai Hamby at the 12:49 mark of the third.

Patrick Sullivan, Kyle Clay and Jared Beers each scored for the Brown Bears on Friday.

“We were solid on both sides of the puck,” Agrusa said after Friday’s win. “Defensively we were good, offensively we were getting a lot of chances and a lot of shots.”

A key moment for the Bears came midway through the second when Clay scored shorthanded to give the Bears the 2-1 lead. The tiebreaking goal was Kenai’s league-leading ninth shorthander of the year.

“That’s a good stat for us,” Agrusa said.

Beers gave the Bears an insurance goal with a power-play tally midway through the third.

Wenatchee, Kenai River and Alaska entered the weekend separated by just four points in the standings. While Alaska has had trouble, as of late, staying out of the West Division cellar, a recent Kenai surge has vaulted the Brown Bears into the second spot.

“We’ve been playing pretty good hockey for the last few weeks,” Kenai head coach Brent Agrusa said on Friday.

Kenai River swept a two-game set at Wenatchee prior to the series in Wasilla.

“I thought we played really well at Wenatchee and it carried in today,” Agrusa said.

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, who were swept by the Topeka RoadRunners earlier in the week, have a grip on the division with 48 points and a 22-8-4 mark, but Agrusa doesn’t deny his team’s ability to skate with the top Dogs.

“Fairbanks is ahead of everybody, but if you look at the games they’ve won, they beat us seven times with one goal,” Agrusa said.

Both Alaska and Kenai River are in a position where scoring points against division rivals is paramount. Alaska is 8-4-0 against Kenai River with only two to play against the Brown Bears. The Avs do have eight games against both Wenatchee and Fairbanks.

Kenai, meanwhile, has just two left against the division-leading Ice Dogs. More key for the Bears is the nine that remain against Wenatchee.

Alaska and Kenai River will skate in their final two-game set of the regular-season series next weekend at the Soldotna Sports Center in Soldotna.

Alaska 3, Kenai River 2

Saturday, Menard Arena

Kenai River 1-1-0-0-0—2

Alaska 0-1-1-0-0—2

First period — 1. Kenai River- Bengston (Sullivan, Kiel) 9:36.

Second period — 2. Alaska- Rounds (Giles, Parenteu) 2:56, 3. Kenai River- Fusaro (Wentland, Townsend) 9:52.

Third period — 4. Alaska- M. Friese (A. Friese, Parenteu) 12:49.

Overtime — no scoring.

Shootout — 5. Alaska- Nagtzaam

Shots on goal: Kenai River 16-17-16-2-0—51, Alaska 15-17-17-3-1—53; Saves: Kenai River- Hamby 14-16-17-3-0—50, Alaska- Pellegrino- 16-16-15-2-0—49; Power plays: Kenai River 0-for-8, Alaska 0-for-6.

Kenai River 3, Alaska 2

Friday, Menard Arena

Kenai River 1-1-1—3

Alaska 0-1-1—2

First period — 1. Kenai River- Sullivan (Bengstom) 4:22.

Second period — 2. Alaska- McNeely (Erlacher, Cohen) pp 5:51, 3. Kenai River- Clay (Goodmanson, Poganski) sh 16:15.

Third period — 4. Kenai River- Beers (Gawron, Clay) pp 14:10, 5. Alaska- Kowal (unassisted) pp 16:21.

Shots on goal: Kenai River 10-6-16—32, Alaska 14-11-1—26; Saves: Kenai River- Hamby 14-10-0—24, Alaska- Pellegrino 9-5-15—29; Power plays: Kenai River 1-for-4, Alaska 2-for-6; Penalties: Kenai River 8-for-16, Alaska 8-for-24.