HOME COOKIN’

PALMER — The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are having a hard time shaking off the chill at the MTA Events Center.

After the Alaska Avalanche pasted a 6-1 shellacking Thursday on the previously undefeated in regulation defending North American Hockey League champs, the Avs remain perfect at home with a gritty 4-3 win Friday. With the Ice Dogs coming in angry after taking a thumping, the Avalanche weathered the storm with physical play and an emotional game-winning goal by forward Kevin Novakovich.

“It was a good game for us,” said Alaska head coach Cory Millen. “Oh, we knew they would be fired up. They hadn’t lost a game outright and they were kind of due for that kind of deal, and I’m glad we were able to get some points off that. But I knew what was coming. I told the boys, ‘you poked a hornet’s nest, you better be ready for what comes out.’”

What emerged from that nest was a charged up Ice Dogs team that played aggressively from the drop of the puck. With both goaltenders making big stops for their teams — Bodhi Engum for the Avs and Alex Fons for Fairbanks — it was the league-leading Ice Dogs that drew first blood on JT Osborn’s goal with eight minutes left in the first period.

The score would hold into the first intermission, but not before the Avs showed some of the aggressive play it would use to dominate the final two periods. Alaska relentlessly crashed the net in the Fairbanks zone, which paid off with 14:02 left in the second period when Wehebe Darge put the puck past Fons off a screen in front of the Fairbanks net.

A little more than seven minutes later, the home team would take its first lead when Mitch Kontny tipped in a fast wrister by Patrick Kinkopf from the left point.

The second period was a gut check for the Avs, Millen said.

“We responded. They’re a very dangerous team and they got a power play goal in the first and we needed to respond, and we did in the second period,” he said. “I thought we played pretty well. We got a little conservative trying to hang on, but you can’t just hang on against a team like that, you’ve got to continue to be aggressive.”

That conservative play nearly allowed the Ice Dogs to muzzle the Avs in the final period when, trailing 3-1, Fairbanks tied the game on two quick goals in seven seconds. Halec Hajdukovich scored with 7:32 left in the game, followed by a goal from Gabe Levin at the 7:25 mark.

Alaska had extended its lead to open the third period. With 30 seconds remaining on a Fairbanks delay of game minor, Cobi Smith got his stick on a scorching shot from near the blueline to deflect it into the net.

But that seven-second flurry was as much as Fairbanks could muster. About two minutes later, Novakovich scored what would turn out to be the game winner.

“I didn’t like giving up those two late goals, but they’re a talented team,” Millen said. “We found a way to win, which is a huge thing at this level.”

It’s also becoming a habit. Friday’s win brought the Avs’ home record to an unbeaten 6-0-1 and moved them into second place in the NAHL West standings. Fairbanks still leads the West with 23 points, followed by the Avs at 17. Kenai River and Fresno are tied for third with 16 points.

As important as the wins at home have been, beating Fairbanks and making up ground in the standings is important right now, Millen said. And Novakovich’s play, which came pounding the net for rebounds, was a pivotal one for the Avs.

“That was a big goal,” he said. “It’s easy for kids this age to collapse after giving up two late goals like that. They can feel sorry for themselves. But he came right back and responded, and he’s played well lately, really well.”

The game also showed some of the hard work and hustle Millen wants to see every night.

“We have to find ways to score goals,” he said. “We’re not tick-tacking it around, we have to get rebounds, get it to the net, get what we call the mucker’s goals, the dirty goals. We preach that. We want to get people to the net and we got smarter goals.”

Although confident and riding a wave of success, Millen warns the Avs need to be consistent every game to be serious contenders in the league.

“This is big for us for confidence,” he said. “They’re in first place, the top team and the defending champs. They have a lot on their side. My boys have responded with hard work, and that’s all I can ask.”

Along with an aggressive offense, the play of goalie Engum has helped propel the win streak, Millen said. He stopped 22 of the 25 shots he saw Friday, and made some game-saving shots early in the game.

“He’s played real solid,” the coach said. “He comes with a pretty good résumé from Minnesota. He’s not a real big guy, but he competes. He’s stood tall and has been big for us.”

Alaska continues its homestand at the MTA Events Center with a two-game series against Wenatchee Tuesday and Wednesday. Both games start at 7 p.m.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.