CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD

WASILLA — Following a second consecutive loss to the Alexandria Blizzard Saturday night, the Alaska Avalanche faced some good news and some bad news.

The good news?

Alaska’s hopes for home ice during the first round of the playoffs are still alive.

The bad news?

The Avs may have to win at least three of their last four to get it.

The Alexandria Blizzard used a 5-1 whitewashing of the Avs Saturday at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena to make Alaska’s quest for first-round home ice advantage for the first time in franchise history a bit more difficult.

The Blizzard stunned Alaska with a 3-2 overtime win on Friday.

The extra-periods loss, a game that was helped decided by a controversial call, did give a point in the standings to third-place Alaska, which trails second-place Fairbanks by three points in the North American Hockey League West Division. Alaska forward Seth Johnson and Alexandria front-liner Nardo Nagtzaam ran into each other near the circle left of the Avalanche goal just more than three minutes into the overtime frame. The hit left Nagtzaam temporarily on the ice and sent Johnson to the box.

“It was just a collision,” said Alaska head coach Dave Boitz, obviously baffled by the late call made in a fairly physical hockey game.

Simon Cederborg-Nilsson took advantage of the overtime gift, packaged a shot from the point and sent it right inside the right post of the Avalanche goal 4:04 into overtime. Nilsson’s overtime power-play tally and Tyler Swanson’s goal late in the third helped the Blizzard blow an Avalanche lead right away.

Alaska forwards Robb Haider and Blake Huppert scored during a 36-second span midway through the third to give the Avs the 2-1 advantage. With just less than 10 minutes left in regulation, Zach Smith put a shot on the Alexandria goal. Blizzard netminder Chris Kamal left the puck right in front of the crease, and Haider skated in and used the back of his blade to knock the puck in the net and put the Avs on the scoreboard.

Thirty-six seconds later, Huppert crashed the net and popped a Trent Johnson rebound into the net.

Kyle Clay opened the scoring with an Alexandria power-play goal early in the third.

Alaska outshot Alexandria 37-27 in the game and 18-7 in the second period.

“Their goalie played really well,” Boitz said. “In the second period, he kept him in it.”

On Saturday, Alexandria outshot Alaska 52-28 en route to the four-goal win over the Avs. Forward Jed McGlasson beat Kamal shorthanded four minutes into regulation, but Alexandria used four unanswered scores to post the win.

Grant Dye tied the score for the Blizzard when he picked up a lose puck between the circles and sent it past Alaska goalie Kale Robertson. Early in the second, Robertson got tied up in traffic and Billy Miller knocked another loose puck into the net. In the third period, Alexandria caught another break when Robertson went out of the crease to play the puck. The puck took a bad bounce, right to Nagtzaam, who buried the shot.

With the overtime loss and the regulation defeat, Alaska sits in third place with a 29-18-7 mark and 65 points. The Fairbanks Ice Dogs, who are off this weekend, remain in second with a 32-20-4 record and 68 points.

Alaska has four games left in the regular season, compared to the Ice Dogs’ two. The Avs entertain West Division-leading Wenatchee (42-9-3, 87 points) Tuesday and Wednesday at the Menard Arena. Kenai River (12-38-6, 30) visits the Menard on Friday and Saturday.

Fairbanks closes its regular season next weekend with two home games against Wenatchee. Wenatchee has already locked up the West Division regular title and will host Kenai River in the first round of the NAHL playoffs. Fairbanks and Alaska will play in the first round, but the home team has not been decided.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Alexandria 5, Alaska 1

Saturday, Menard Arena

First period — 1. Alaska- McGlasson (Johnson) sh 4:11; 2. Alexandria- Dye (unassisted) 17:00.

Second period — 3. Alexandria- Miller (unassisted) 4:11.

Third period — 4. Alexandria- Nagtzaam (Resch, Clay) 1:48; 5. Alexandria-Nagtzaam (Resch) 11:28; 6. Alexandria- Nagel (Kamal) 11:53.

Shots on goal: Alexandria 22-10-20—52, Alaska 9-11-8—28; Saves: Alexandria- Kamal 8-11-8-27, Alaska- Peterson 21-9-17-47; Alexandria 0-for-7, Alaska 0-for-3; Penalties:

Alexandria 3, Alaska 2

Friday, Menard Arena

First period — no scoring.

Second period — no scoring.

Third period — 1. Alexandria- Clay (Fulton, Nagtzaam) pp 6:25; 2. Alaska-Haider (Smith, Huppert) 10:08; 3. Alaska- Huppert (Johnson, Haider) 10:44; 4. Alexandria- Swanson (Dye, Nagel) 17:15.

Overtime — 5. Alexandria- Cederborg-Nilsson (Wall) pp 4:04.

Shots on goal: Alexandria 5-7-12-26, Alaska 8-18-9-2-37; Saves: Alexandria- Kamel 8-18-7-2-35, Alaska- Peterson 5-7-10-2-24; Power plays: Alexandria 2-for-5, Alaska 0-for-3; Alexandria 3-for-6, Alaska 5-for-10.