PLAYOFF PUSH

WASILLA — A pair of weekend losses to the Alexandria Blizzard obviously didn’t make the Alaska Avs’ battle for first-round home ice any easier. But the Avalanche continue to remain within reach of hosting a playoff series for the first time in franchise history.

Alaska will have four shots to pick up points in the North American Hockey League West Division standings during the final week of the regular season. The Avs host division leader Wenatchee tonight and Wednesday at the Curtis C. Menard II Memorial Ice Arena in Wasilla. On Friday and Saturday, the fourth-place Kenai River Brown Bears are in town.

“So many things can still happen between now and four games from now,” Alaska head coach Dave Boitz said on Monday. “We need to pick up some points this week and this weekend and see where Fairbanks ends up.”

Fairbanks (32-20-4, 68 points) currently has a three-point advantage over third-place Alaska (29-18-7, 65 points) in the West. The good news for the Avalanche is the Ice Dogs have half as many games left on the regular season calendar. Fairbanks caps the regular season with at two-game set against Wenatchee this weekend.

“If we win games, we control our own destiny,” Boitz said. “We’ll take it one game at a time and get what we can every night.”

While the Avs do have the luxury of playing their last six games of the regular season at home, those half-dozen games do come during an eight-day stretch. Boitz said it makes for a rough week, but it could be worse. The Avs could be Wenatchee, playing its final six games during an eight-day stretch on the road.

“It is what it is,” Boitz said. “We’re not going to make excuses.”

Alaska started the six-game homestand with a pair of games against the Alexandria Blizzard over the weekend. Fairbanks was off, but the Avs were only able to make up one point on their rival. Alexandria slipped by Alaska 3-2 in overtime on Friday, and scored a 5-1 win over the Avs on Saturday.

Boitz said the losses were frustrating, but it’s not like the disappointed Avs have to reinvent themselves to score a few wins down the stretch. The Avalanche need to do the types of things they’ve done all season that have helped them earn a franchise record 29 wins.

“Every individual has got to go out compete hard, be disciplined and play true-blue, hard-nosed hockey,” Boitz said.

Wenatchee (42-9-3, 87) has long locked up the West Division title and will host Kenai River (12-38-6) in the first round. Fairbanks and Alaska will play during the first round, with the home team yet to be determined.

Olympian to be honored by Avs tonight

Palmer native Kerry Weiland, who won a silver medal as a member of the Team USA women’s hockey team, will be honored tonight at the Menard Arena when the Avalanche face Wenatchee.

During the first intermission a one-of-a-kind Weiland Avalanche jersey will be auctioned, with all proceeds going to help fund the former Palmer High School star’s travel and training costs accumulated during her preparation for the Olympic games. During the second period following the chuck-a-puck promotion, Weiland will pose for a group picture with a number of local youth hockey players.

The game also features a special promotion courtesy of Matanuska Telephone Association. Every young hockey player wearing their local youth hockey jersey will be admitted free.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.