Third-period surge seals Avs win over Rage

DAWSON CREEK, BC — On Friday, Edward Dyson stood like a wall against the Alaska Avalanche.

But a night after stopping 43 shots during a 4-2 win over Alaska, the Avs needed only 13 seconds to crack that wall and 36 to send it tumbling down.

Alaska scored twice during the first 36 seconds of the third period and three times within the first 3:20 of the third to ice a 7-2 win over the Dawson Creek Rage in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada, Saturday night.

Alaska scored four times in two periods of work against Dawson Creek’s Saturday starter, Jack Surgenor. But the Rage pulled Surgenor after the second in favor of Dyson.

The Avs welcomed the change as Ryan Dau slipped a puck past Dyson 13 seconds into the third to push Alaska’s lead to 5-1.

Just 23 seconds later, Connor Wright scored again for the Avs. Defenseman Casey Nelson continued the third-period tear for the Avs, adding a power-play goal at the 3:20 mark.

Assistant captain Ross Pavek finished with a game-best four points to help the Avs improve to 11-8-1 overall. With 23 total points, Alaska jumped past Fresno and Wenatchee and into third place in the North American Hockey League standings.

Pavek finished with a goal and three assists in the win. Rookie Evan Janssen pushed his team lead to 22 points with a goal and two assists. Dau also had three points, tallying two goals and an assist.

Wright had a goal and an assist, and Brandon Brossoit, Joe Schmitz and Kevin Novakovich recorded a pair of assists each for Alaska.

Dau and Mitch Kontny each scored first-period power-play goals to give the Avs the 3-1 first-period lead. Pavek and Janssen added second-period goals for Alaska.

Bodhi Engum stopped 24 shots to earn the win in the Alaska net.

Dawson Creek jumped to a 4-0 lead during the 4-2 win on Friday.

Brossoit and Janssen scored late in the third period, as the Avs cut Dawson’s lead in half. Janssen’s goal came with the extra attacker on the ice.

The teams will play the rubber match of the three-game series today at 2 p.m. AST in Canada.

Alaska 7, Dawson Creek 2

Saturday, Dawson Creek, Canada

First period — 1. Alaska- Dau (Janssen, Schmitz) 13:29; 2. Dawson Creek- McCallum (unassisted) sh 17:40; 3. Alaska- Kontny (Pavek, Schmitz) pp 18:03.

Second period — 4. Alaska- Pavek (Brossoit, Wright) 14:49; 5. Alaska- Janssen (Novakovich, Dau) 19:26.

Third period — 6. Alaska- Dau (Novakovich, Janssen) 0:13; 7. Alaska- Wright (Pavek, Brossoit) 0:36; 8. Alaska- Nelson (Pavek) pp 3:20; 9. Dawson Creek- Mueller, Turnbull) pp 14:32.

Shots on goal: Alaska 16-11-16—43, Dawson Creek 10-9-7—26; Saves: Alaska- Engum 9-9-6—24, Dawson Creek- Surgenor 14-9-x—23, Dyson x-x-13—13; Power plays: Alaska 3 for 9, Dawson Creek 1 for 8; Penalties: Alaska 11 for 25, Dawson Creek 15 for 45.

Dawson Creek 4, Alaska 2

Friday, Dawson Creek, Canada

First period — 1. Dawson Creek- Mueller (Hartley, Bailey) pp 13:42; 2. Dawson Creek- Mueller (penalty shot) 15:21.

Second period — 3. Dawson Creek- Fellnermayr (Bailey, Adduono) 16:29.

Third period — 4. Dawson Creek- Matthews (Fellnemayr, McCallum) 4:18; 5. Alaska- Brossoit (Pavek) 15:39; 6. Alaska- Janssen (Brossoit, Dau) ea 18:40.

Shots on goal: Alaska 17-12-16—45, Dawson Creek 11-11-12—34; Saves: Alaska- Kulmanovsky 9-10-11—30, Dawson Creek- Dyson 17-12-14—43; Power plays: Alaska 0 for 5, Dawson Creek 2 for 4.