ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Aces seemed bound and determined to plow their way through any obstruction thus far in the ECHL playoffs. Having dispatched the Steelheads in four straight, they entered game two of this western conference finals series with the Salmon Kings already leading 1-0 in the series.
Not wanting to let their collective foot off the gas, they pressed Victoria early and the pressure paid off when Scott Howes scored his fourth of the post season at 4:11 off assists from Wes Goldie and Daryl Boyle.
The contest got a bit aggressive as both teams got their sticks up and a series of roughing, slashing, and high sticking calls were made. Howes’ goal came on the power play when Victoria’s Adam Taylor was whistled for roughing.
Through the first period, the Aces outshot Victoria 12-7 and went one for four on the power play while the Salmon Kings were scoreless on their lone power play.
Defenseman Derick Martin finally got Victoria on the scoreboard at 4:44 of the second period.
With 2:10 left in the second, Ryan Turek put the Kings ahead for the first time in the series with his first goal of the playoffs. Rob Hennigar and Chad Painchaud picked up the assists. For Hennigar it was second helper of the game.
The third started off where the second period ended with both sides looking for an edge. The Aces were the first to the edge when defenseman Bryan Miller knotted the score at two apiece at 8:13 of the frame.
Sensing a shift in momentum the Aces pressed the advantage and Brian Swanson edged Anchorage ahead with a goal at 11:56 off a feed from Howes.
Salmon Kings’ winger Ryan MacMurchy silenced the crowd of 5177 with his first goal of the post season when he beat Gerald Coleman at 14:30 of the period. Hennigar picked up his third assist of the game on the goal.
MacMurchy’s goal stood up through the end of regulation and the two clubs skated into overtime tied at 3.
At 2:15 of the extra session Wes Goldie netted the game winner for Anchorage as the Aces were looking to put the game away as early as possible.
Anchorage now heads out on the road for games in Victoria where the Salmon Kings will need to find answers for a host of problems namely the Aces’ offense and Coleman in net. If they cannot find a solution or two they may well find themselves swept out of the ECHL western conference finals.
Contact Lou.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
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