Overtime loss leaves Avs in hole

WENATCHEE, Wash. — When the Alaska Avalanche return to Palmer to host Game 3 of their North American Hockey League first-round series Friday, they’ll be playing for their playoff lives.

Wenatchee used a 4-3 overtime win over Alaska at the Toyota Town Center in Wenatchee, Wash., Saturday to push the Avs deep into a two-game hole and bring the Wild within a game of clinching the best-of-5 series.

Forward DJ Vandercook scored just more than four minutes into the extra period to give the Wild the win and the 2-0 advantage in the series.

The series now returns to Valley, where the teams will meet for Game 3 at the MTA Palmer Ice Arena Friday at 7:30 p.m. An Avalanche win would force a fourth game on Saturday. Game 5, if needed, would be played next Sunday in Palmer.

Alaska found itself down 3-0 early in the second period, but the Avs rallied during the final 24 minutes of regulation to tie the score at 3.

With just less than four minutes left in the second period, forward Eliot Grauer scored on the power play to put the Avs on the board.

Late in the second, forward Matt Friese tallied the first of his two goals to bring the Avs within one. Friese snuck a puck past Wild goalie Brandon Jaeger with only 25 seconds left in the period.

Midway through the third, Friese struck again. With the Avs on the power play, Friese fired a shot in the net to tie the score at 3.

Alaska outshot Wenatchee 12-5 in the third and 30-24 in the game.

The Wild built a four-goal lead Friday and held on for a 4-1 win in the first game of the series. Grant Dye recorded Alaska’s lone goal during Friday’s loss, scoring on the power play.

Alaska will now need to win three straight in order to win its first playoff series in franchise history.

Wenatchee 4, Alaska 3

Saturday, Toyota Town Center, Wenatchee, Wash.

First period — 1. Wenatchee- Barber (Carey, Shumway) 9:42; 2. Wenatchee- McHugh (Carey, Sjogren) 11:43.

Second period — 3. Wenatchee- DiPuma (Barber, Rumble) 3:26; 4. Alaska- Grauer (Huppert, Williams) pp 16:34; 5. Alaska- Friese (Senkbeil) 19:35.

Third period — 6. Alaska- Friese (Schmitz, Hesse) pp 9:18.

Overtime — 7. Vandercook (Pauly) 4:06.

Shots on goal: Alaska 8-8-12-2—30, Wenatchee 9-8-5-2—24; Saves: Alaska- Kulmanovsky 7-2-x-x—9; Peterson x-5-5-1—11; Wenatchee- Jaeger 8-6-11-2—27; Alaska 2-for-4, Wenatchee 1-for-4.

Wenatchee 4, Alaska 1

Friday, Toyota Town Center, Wenatchee, Wash.

First period — 1. Wenatchee- DiPuma (Pauly, Barber) 18:00.

Second period — 2. Wenatchee- Vandercook (Pauly, DiPuma) 2:01.

Third period — 3. Wenatchee- Puskarich (Rumble, Huson) pp 6:20; 4. Wenatchee- Hope (Barber, DiPuma) pp 13:50; 5. Alaska- Dye (unassisted) pp 16:16.

Shots on goal: Alaska 9-6-5—20, Wenatchee 8-16-13—37; Saves: Alaska- Peterson 7-15-11—33, Wenatchee- 9-6-4—19; Power plays: Alaska 1-for-6, Wenatchee 2-for-8; Penalties: Alaska 11-for-22, Wenatchee 8-for-16.