NAHL hockey: Dogs score five second-period goals, beat Avs

FAIRBANKS — The Fairbanks Ice Dogs scored five times in the second period and skated to a 6-2 win over the Alaska Avalanche at the Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks on Thursday.

Zach Tolkinen and Jared Larson netted a pair of goals each to help Fairbanks close the gap between the Ice Dogs and the Avs in the North American Hocke League standings.

Alaska (16-6-5) remains in second place with 37 points in the standings, but thanks to the Fairbanks win, its seventh straight, the Ice Dogs (17-11-1) sit only two points back.

The teams meet again on Friday and Saturday to round out the three-game set.

Alaska forward Kyle Pichler scored on the power play five minutes into regulation to give the Avs the early lead. Michael Juola netted a power-play goal of his own midway through the first to tie the score at 1-1. The Ice Dogs blew past the Avs with three goals during the first five minutes of the second.

Defenseman Jake Williams also scored for the Avalanche.

Fairbanks 6, Alaska 2

Thursday, Big Dipper Ice Arena

First period — 1. Alaska- Pichler (Scott, Williams) pp 5:03, 2. Fairbanks- Juola (Larson, Pustin) pp 12:29.

Second period — 3. Fairbanks- Tolkinen (Saintey, Kirchhevel) 0:51, 4. Fairbanks- Larson (Feaval, Pustin) 3:06, 5. Fairbanks- Tolkinen (Waggoner, McGill) 4:50, 6. Fairbanks- Larson (Politz) 8:33, 7. Fairbanks- Krause (Saintey) pp 12:58.

Third period — Alaska- Williams (Schwartz, Maly) 3:26.

Shots on goal: Alaska 11-3-10—24, Fairbanks 12-10-8—30; Saves: Alaska- Robertson 11-5-x—16, Peterson x-x-8—8; Fairbanks- Taffe 10-3-9—22; Power plays: Alaska 1-for-4, Fairbanks 2-for-10; Penalties: Alaska 14-for-39, Fairbanks 10-for-31.