Avs strike again in 3rd period

PALMER — Another big third period and another win for the Alaska Avalanche.

Alaska used its second four-goal third-period in three days to score a 5-3 come-from-behind win over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks.

“We tend to have big periods, guys tend to step up then,” Alaska head coach Brian Huebel said by cellphone from Fairbanks Saturday night.

The Avs also scored four times during Alaska’s 6-4 victory on Thursday.

Matt Friese scored twice during the final frame Saturday to help the Avs score a victory on the final day of the regular season and improve to 32-22-4 overall. Alaska also won the three-game series at the Big Dipper with the victory, and tied a franchise record for wins in a season with 32.

Andy Pearson and Kyle Clapper also scored for Alaska in the third period. Defenseman Joe Schmitz provided the Avs with the first goal, scoring midway through the second.

Goalie Landon Peterson made 31 saves in the win and was a big reason Alaska could claim the victory, Huebel said.

“We didn’t come out well at all and Landon played pretty well the first couple of periods,” Huebel said. “(Landon) kept us in the game and we got gradually better as the game went on.”

Huebel said the Avs were able to create opportunities during the final 20 minutes.

“We found a way to grind it out,” Huebel said. “We got pucks to the net, bodies to the net.”

Friese used the first of his two goals to tie the game at 2 just 1:39 into the final period.

“That one really got us going,” Huebel said of the score, a shot from just inside the dot that caught goalie Joe Phillippi off guard.

But the big goal, Huebel said, came in the second.

Schmitz stepped up from the blue line to join the rush and sent a shot from the slot low into the net.

“The bigger goal was our first goal. We were down 2-0,” Huebel said.

Huebel said the Avs wanted to treat this three-game set at the end of the regular season just like a playoff series. With that in mind, Huebel said he’s definitely happy with leaving with two wins.

Alaska begins the postseason against the Wenatchee Wild Friday in Wenatchee, Wash.

Alaska 5, Fairbanks 3

Saturday, Big Dipper Ice Arena

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Vierling (Voigt, Carlston) 2:31.

Second period — 2. Fairbanks- Linnell (Thauwald, O’Rourke) 7:29; 3. Alaska- Schmitz (Friese) 11:29.

Third period — 3. Alaska- Friese (unassisted) 1:39; 4. Alaska- Pearson (Whitehill) 5:59; 5. Alaska- Clapper (Schmitz) 9:05; 6. Fairbanks- Mills (Levin, O’Rourke) pp ea 15:11; 7. Alaska- Friese (unassisted) en 19:25.

Shots on goal: Alaska 10-10-11—31, Fairbanks 14-9-11—34; Saves: Alaska- Peterson 13-8-10—31, Alaska 10-9-7—26; Power plays: Alaska 0-for-4, Fairbanks 2-for-7.

Fairbanks 5, Alaska 1

Friday, Big Dipper Ice Arena

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Thauwald (Munson, Levin) pp 15:40; 2. Alaska- Friese (Huppert, Williams) 19:22.

Second period — 3. Fairbanks- Wolter (Linnell, O’Rourke) 0:58; 4. Fairbanks- Munson (Linnell, Carlston) 5:31.

Third period — 5. Fairbanks- Linnell (Levin, Stampohar) pp 3:53; 6. Fairbanks- Carlston (Callahan, Vierling) 13:50.

Shots on goal: Alaska 12-12-7—31, Fairbanks 11-13-13—37; Saves: Alaska- Kulmanovsky 10-11-11—32, Alaska 11-12-7—30.