ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Game two in the Kelly Cup Finals picked up right where game one ended the night before. The Aces are in a groove that is special for them and their fans and nightmare for the rest of the ECHL. After picking the K-Wings apart in game one, 3-0, the Aces tacked on 2 early goals in the first period of this match and made a statement.
‘We’re not letting up.’
Chris Langkow got the party started at 2”:38 of the first with his sixth of the playoffs and third in two games. The goal came on the powerplay and seemed to signal that the K-Wings had not solved the Aces yet.
To reinforce the message, Langkow set up Curtis Fraser at 9:32 for his fourth goal of the post season for the Aces.
For the period, Gerald Coleman stopped 15 shots on net form Kalamazoo who found some offense but were again unable to solve Coleman’s netminding for the fourth straight period.
Meanwhile Ryan Nie has been having his difficulties in net for the Wings and yielded the two goals on just seven shots on net.
For the rest of the first and throughout the second period, the two teams skated to a stalemate.
Early in the third the Wings nearly had their first goal of the finals but the marker was waived off for not having crossed the line.
Just over the five minutes later, the K-Wings finally put a goal on the board with a marker from Brandon Svendsen, his fifth of the post season, at 5:51 of the third.
Svendsen’s goal stopped a shutout streak of 116:08 put up by Coleman. The Aces goalie had not given up a goal since the Western Conference Finals.
With a bit of life breathed in the bench, Kalamazoo tied things up with 25 seconds remaining in regulation with the rebound equalizer from Andrew Fournier, his fourth of the playoffs.
But the Aces had one more card to play in the extra session. The K-Wings were called for too many men on the ice and Aces potted their second power-play of the night.
Bryan Miller got his second of the playoffs at 7:33 of overtime and sent the K-Wings home at least knowing they could score.
Contact Lou.Lafrado@prohockeynews.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.