Wild sweep Avs out of playoffs

PALMER – The Alaska Avalanche owned their regular season series with the Wenatchee Wild. But in the first round of the North American Hockey League playoffs, it went all Wild.

Wenatchee scored a 4-2 win over the Avalanche Friday at the MTA Palmer Ice Arena to sweep the best-of-5 postseason series. The Wild erased an early 1-0 deficit to score the series-clinching win over the Avs and move forward to face the Fairbanks Ice Dogs in the NAHL West Division championship series. Fairbanks secured a sweep of Kenai River Friday with a 7-2 win over the Brown Bears.

Wenatchee tied the score at 1 late in the third, but took the 2-1 lead while outshooting the Avs 11-5 in the second period.

Alaska took the early lead just more than six minutes into the first when captain Zach Smith one-timed a Andy Pearson pass into the back of the Wenatchee net. With the Avs skating on the power play, defenseman Dan Senkbeil fed the puck to Pearson at the left doorstep. Pearson centered a quick pass to Smith, who between the circles, fired a shot into the upper shelf.

With Alaska trailing 3-1, Elliot Grauer scored shorthanded to bring the Avs within one. Forward Matt Friese picked up a loose puck in transition, skated up the ice and sent a sharp pass to Grauer to set up the goal.

Wenatchee’s Shawn Pauly scored 25 seconds later to pull all the momentum back to the Wild.

Wenatchee 4, Alaska 2

Friday, MTA Palmer Ice Arena

First period – 1. Alaska- Smith (Pearson, Senkbeil) 6:10; 2. Wenatchee- DiPuma (Barber, Shumway) 16:27.

Second period – 3. Wenatchee- McHugh (Von Rueden, Vandercook) 8:24.

Third period – 4. Wenatchee- Cope (Von Rueden, DiPuma) 1:17; 5. Alaska- Grauer (Friese) sh 12:54; 6. Wenatchee- Pauly (DiPuma, Rumble) pp 13:19.

Shots on goal: Wenatchee 5-11-3—19, Alaska 6-5-7—18.