Avs take down Wenatchee

WASILLA — Last season, Wenatchee wasn’t just a nemesis of the Alaska Avalanche. With 10 wins in 14 regular season meetings and another three during a best-of-5 first-round playoff series, the Wild seemed to be Alaska’s kryptonite.

But on Friday, it was the Avs who were super.

Alaska used a pair of Jake Paranteau goals and Landon Peterson’s 25-save shutout to post a 4-0 win over the North American Hockey League-leading Wild at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena on Friday evening.

Parenteau and former Colony High School standout Blake Huppert each found the back of the net during a 65-second span early in the third period to help the Avs seal the win over the Wild, who entered the contest with a league-best 16-3-0 mark.

Huppert and Logan Rounds also scored for the Avs, who improved to 9-3-1 overall.

Peterson’s stopped all 25 shots he saw, and Alaska is the first team of the year to shutout the Wild.

Parenteau, who is now tied for the lead in goals by a defensemen, factored into both of Alaska’s third period scores.

Just more than four minutes into the third period, the Minnesota native blasted a shot from the slot. Parenteau’s attempt came off the back wall and bounced back up toward the right circle. Huppert crashed and slapped the puck past Wenatchee goalie Mac Curruth.

Just more than a minute later, Parenteau raced down the left boards, picked up a loose puck, skated through the Wenatchee defensive zone and lifted a quick shot over the shoulder of Carruth.

Parenteau gave the Avs the early lead, when flipped a quick wrist shot past Carruth. With Alaska skating on the power play, second-year forward Matthew Friese dropped a pass back to Parenteau, who walked the puck up through the right circle and fired a shot on the Wenatchee net.

In the second period, former Service standout Logan Rounds gave Alaska the 2-0 lead.

Nardo Nagtzaam, skating down the left size of the ice, led a 2-on-1 break. Nagtzaam passed the puck across the front of the crease to Rounds, who was at the right side of the net.

For more, see the Sunday edition of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

Alaska 4, Wenatchee 0

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Alaska- Parenteau (Friese, Rounds) pp 8:28.

Second period — 2. Alaska- Rounds (Nagtzaam, Smith) 14:32.

Third period — 3. Alaska- Huppert (Parenteau) 4:22, 4. Alaska- Parenteau (unassisted) 5:17.

Shots on goal: Wenatchee 10-8-7—25, Alaska 10-17-8—35; Saves: Wenatchee- Carruth 9-16-6—31, Alaska- Peterson 10-8-7—25; Power plays: Wenatchee 0-for-2, Alaska 1-for-3.