Kenai win bolstered by former Av

SOLDOTNA — When Kenai River’s Jimmy Hamby turned away a shootout attempt by Alaska’s leading scorer, all the pressure was on the new guy.

Having just two practices with the Brown Bears after being traded from the Avalanche on Monday, Braden Kinnebrew’s new team already was depending on him. Kinnebrew was the fifth and final shooter for Kenai River. Down 1-0 after five Avs attempts, only a goal would continue the shootout and keep the Bears alive.

The newest Brownie delivered, keying a 3-2 shootout victory over the Avalanche on Friday in North American Hockey League action at the Soldotna Sports Center in front of 834 fans.

Kinnebrew slid an on-ice shot through Avalanche goaltender Landon Peterson’s five hole, knotting the shootout at one apiece.

“It felt great to rub it in the coaching staff’s face,” Kinnebrew said about his former team.

Kinnebrew didn’t fit into Alaska’s system but he fits well into Kenai River’s, said interim head coach Oliver David.

“You have to score,” went through his head prior to the shootout goal. Afterward, Kinnebrew said he had faith in Hamby to get the win for his team.

And Hamby did just that.

Aided by a hit goal post, Kenai River’s net minder turned away three more Avalanche shooters. Then captain Jed McGlasson sealed the victory.

As the eighth shooter for Kenai River, the left hander made a move to his forehand than to his backhand, and slid the puck on the ice past Peterson for the win.

“It’s nice to see us getting some bounces this year,” Hamby said. Hamby, who didn’t win any shootouts last season, improves to 2-1 in shootouts this year.

“That goes with the theory that you create your own luck,” David said. “We stuck it out against a top team in the division. Our attitude raised us up tonight over the peak.”

All of the scoring came in the first period of play.

Just 19 seconds in, the Brown Bears went on the power play after Jake Parentaeu was penalized for checking from behind. The Brown Bears had good pressure, getting several shots to the net but failed to convert on the man advantage.

The Avalanche drew first blood, scoring a power-play goal about seven minutes into the period. With McGlasson in the box for tripping, Alaska’s Nardo Nagtzaam wristed an on-ice shot from the point. Parentaeu redirected it past Hamby.

Kenai River answered Alaska’s goal three minutes later. Just as an Avalanche penalty ended, Kyle Van slid a cross-ice pass along the blue line to Kinnebrew, who ripped a one-timer past the Avalanche net minder.

Two minutes later, Kenai River was on the man advantage. But Alaska’s Kyle Pichler spoiled the power play. He rushed past Kenai River’s defensemen, and met Hamby, who came out of his net to play the puck in the corner. Pichler beat Hamby to the puck and wrapped around the net. With several Brown Bears crashing the net in pursuit of Pichler, he found an open Tyler Schwartz, who buried a shot over a diving Hamby.

With just under three minutes to play in the first, Kenai River’s leading scorer, Dajon Mingo, picked Alaska defenseman Daniel Hildebrandt’s pocket at the blue line and rushed in on a breakaway. But Hildebrandt pulled Mingo to the ice, drawing a penalty shot.

On the ensuing play, Mingo came in on Peterson from the right. Just as he was making his move, Peterson poke-checked the puck off of Mingo’s stick. The scored remained 2-1 in favor of the Avs after the failed penalty shot attempt.

But Mingo atoned for his missed opportunity by netting the tying goal with just 5.4 seconds reaming in the first period. Mingo was left alone in the slot. When the puck came his way, he buried it behind Peterson. Mingo’s linemates McGlasson and Josh Royston added the helpers to the goal. The Brown Bears top line of Mingo, McGlasson and Royston came in to Friday’s game averaging two points a night.

Kenai River peppered the Avs goaltender with 21 first-period shots. Alaska managed just 10.

“Our goalie kept us in the game,” said Avalanche head coach Dave Boitz. “We just got outworked, we got out-hustled, we got outmanned.”

Kenai River’s biggest accomplishment was coming from behind twice, David said. “Strong, cohesive teams always give themselves a chance to come back,” he said.

Alaska’s best chance to take the lead in the second period came on a two-minute, five-on-three, power-play opportunity. However, a minute into the two-man advantage, Alaska’s Robb Haider tripped McGlasson as he attempted to clear to puck. Kenai River killed off the four-on-three power play.

The Avs looked to break the tie again late in the period. Brown Bears defenseman Trace Strahle stepped up to block a pass, which resulted in an odd-man rush for Alaska.

Haider passed to Pichler, who ripped a shot on net. But Hamby slid to his right and came up with the save.

The second period ended as the first did, at 2-2.

Peterson came up huge in third. Kenai River’s Brad Duwe and Strahle both had open chances in the slot, but Peterson was up to the task.

With under a minute to play in regulation, the Avs came into the Brown Bears zone on a two-on-one. But Hamby denied their scoring chance and Kenai River rushed the other way.

McGlasson and Royston came into Alaska’s zone on a two-on-one with about 10 seconds to play. But McGlasson’s pass attempt to Royston was poke-checked away and time expired.

Just over a minute into the four-on-four overtime period, Parentaeu committed his second checking-from-behind penalty. With a lot of room to work with on the four-on-three powerplay, Kenai River generated good scoring chances, but Peterson and the Avs killed it off.

Killing that penalty was one positive Boitz said he took away from the game.

“They looked like a better hockey team,” Boitz said.

Alaska defeated Kenai River three times earlier in the season by a combined score of 17-5. Several returning players helped the Avs get off to a fast start, Boitz said. With so many new faces in Kenai, it took the Bears longer to get going. They’re much improved, Boitz added.

“I don’t see (Alaska) mailing in many performances,” David said. “They’re definitely an organized group.”

Mike Nesper can be reached at mike.nesper@peninsulaclarion.com.

Kenai River 3, Alaska 2 SO

Friday, Soldotna Sports Center

First period — 1. Alaska, Parentaeu (Nagtzaam), pp, 7:51. 2. Kenai River, Kinnebrew (Beck, Van), 10:57. 3. Alaska, Schwartz (Pichler), sh, 13:27. 4. Kenai River, Mingo (McGlasson, Royston), 19:55. Penalties — Alaska, 4 for 8:00; Kenai River, 2 for 4:00.

Second period — No scoring. Penalties — Alaska, 3 for 6:00; Kenai River, 3 for 6:00.

Third period — No scoring. Penalties —Alaska, 1 for 2:00.

Overtime — No scoring. Penalties— Alaska, 1 for 2:00.

Shootout — Alaska 1 (Huppert g, Haide ng, Rounds ng, Nagtzaam ng, Smith ng, Parenteau ng, Pichler ng, Van Allen ng); Kenai River 2 (Bayagich ng, Duwe ng, Lubanski ng, Mingo ng, Kinnebrew g, Glick ng, Beck ng, McGlasson g). Shots on goal — Alaska 10-13-8-1—32; Kenai River 21-11-8-4—44. Goalies — Alaska, Peterson (44 shots, 42 saves); Kenai River, Hamby (32 shots, 30 saves). Power plays — Alaska 1 for 4; Kenai River 0 for 8.