Ice Dogs snap Avs win streak

FAIRBANKS — Steve Perry gave the Alaska Avalanche the cold shoulder all night Saturday.

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs goalie stopped 37 of the Avalanche’s 38 shots to pace the Dogs to a 3-1 win Saturday. The win snapped the Avs’ four-game winning streak and allowed Fairbanks to leapfrog the Avalanche into second place in the North American Hockey League West Division.

Although the Avs out-shot the Ice Dogs 38-29, they couldn’t ride the momentum of Friday’s 5-4 win to start the road series.

Fairbanks drew first blood in the first period when Alexander Jensen scored unassisted at the 14:23 mark.

It took the Avs only 13 seconds to respond. Wehebe Darge netted the only puck that would pass Perry on the night to tie the score 1-1 after the first period.

Matt Millis would score 5:02 into the second period for Fairbanks with what would prove the game-winner. Jensen would find the net again in the third period on a powerplay to add the insurance goal.

Perry had to work for his 37 saves, with the Avalanche peppering the net 17 times in the third period alone. But the real Achilles heel for the Avs was an 0-11 performance on the powerplay.

Saturday’s loss stopped and Avalanche hot streak that saw them beat Fairbanks the night before and sweep NAHL expansion club Dawson Creek over three games.

At 9-7, Alaska is close behind Fairbanks (9-3) and division-leading Wenatchee (9-3).

Avalanche 5,

Fairbanks 4

In the first game of the series, Fairbanks out-shot the Avalanche 28-27, but it was the Avs that made the most of their attempts on the net.

Alaska broke the ice in the first period when Wehebe Darge scored on the powerplay. It was a fleeting lead, however, as the Ice Dogs’ Charlie Thauwald evened the score 1-1 with an unassisted goal 1 minute, 20 seconds later.

The teams would continue to trade scores through out the period and into the second. Evan Hesse came back to put the Avs up 2-1, 44 seconds after Thauwald’s goal, which was answered again a little more than five minutes later by the Ice Dogs.

Tied 2-2 at the first intermission, the Avalanche came out strong to start the second stanza. Darge scored his second goal of the game at the 3:35 mark, assisted by Seth Johnson and Andy Pearson. Jacob Barber made it 4-2 about three minutes later.

But the Ice Dogs would take advantage of a pair of Avalanche penalties later in the second, scoring a pair of powerplay goals to tie the game again going into the second intermission.

A tough defensive third period saw Brandon Brossoit come through with the game-winner for the Avs, assisted by Jake Williams and Blake Huppert.

In net, Landon Peterson got the win, playing the entire game and making 24 saves.

The Avs will have a few days off before hosting Kenai River for a pair of games this next weekend at the Palmer Ice Arena. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday.

Alaska 5, Fairbanks 4

Friday, Fairbanks

Alaska 2-2-1—5

Fairbanks 2-2-0—4

First period — 1. Alaska- Darge (Schmitz, Pearson) pp 10:12, 2. Fairbanks- Thauwald (unassisted) 11:32, 3. Alaska- Hesse (Van Allen) 12:16, 4. Fairbanks- Linnell (Osborn) 17:44.

Second period —5. Alaska- Darge (Johnson, Pearson) 3:35, 6. Alaska- Barber (Brossoit, Williams) 6:21, 7. Fairbanks- O’Rourke (Jensen, Osborn) pp 7:34, 8. Fairbanks- Linnell (Carlston) pp 18:33.

Third period — 9. Alaska- Brossoit (Williams, Huppert) 11:04.

Shots on goal: Alaska 8-10-9—27, Fairbanks 11-9-8—28; Saves: Alaska- 24, Fairbanks- 22; Powerplays: Alaska 1-for-7, Fairbanks 2-for-6.

Fairbanks 3, Alaska 1

Saturday, Fairbanks

Alaska 1-0-0—1

Fairbanks 1-1-1—3

First period — 1. Fairbanks- Jensen (unassisted) 14:23, 2. Darge (Johnson) 14:36.

Second period — 3. Millis (Thauwald) 5:02.

Third period — 4. Jensen (O’Rourke, Osborn) pp :39.

Shots on goal: Alaska 11-10-17—38, Fairbanks 12-8-9—29; Saves: Alaska- 26, Fairbanks- 37; Powerplays: Alaska 0-11, Fairbanks 1-7.