Wranglers looking for an edge in Game 2

Nick Christensen

Friday, April 9, 2004 | 9:44 a.m.

In the bowels of the Orleans Arena, a new attitude has swept the hallway between the hockey locker rooms, an attitude that longtime hockey fans would identify in a minute.

'Tis the season for playoff hockey.

Coaches, once open about their injuries and lineup changes, now are openly reserved about disclosing who'll start between the pipes, or who might be scratched from the lineup for the next game. A player icing his hand might be really suffering from a leg injury, not that anybody could find out, as the locker room area adjacent to the training room is kept completely clear of anyone who doesn't get their paychecks from the Las Vegas Wranglers.

And there's not a razor in the house, as players -- and even some team employees -- start to grow "playoff beards."

Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said players and coaches don't want to give any advantage to their opponents.

"Nobody says anything. It's almost a superstition. Nobody gives away injuries," he said. "Everything is just on heightened alert."

Down the way, Idaho coach John Olver was less cautious with information. Or maybe he was just fibbing.

Either way, Olver was sitting in the Orleans Arena stands, watching injured Wranglers Ryan Christie and Morten Ask work their injured legs as Wranglers assistant coach Jeff Sharples chased them.

Olver's concern, though, is more on his goalie situation than the status of injured Wranglers. He said that rookie Mike Betz will get his second professional start tonight, in game two of the best-of-five first-round ECHL Pacific Division playoff series.

He said Betz will be better now that he actually has practiced with his new team. When Betz arrived three hours before Tuesday's series opener, he came expecting to backup goalie Dan Ellis, who was in the arena but due to paperwork difficulties with Triple-A Utah, could not play.

"He's had a couple practices, he should be able to prepare and play," Olver said.

Back at the Las Vegas locker room, veteran defenseman Jason McBain said that playoff time is a great part of the year.

"It's the time of the season when you can show people what you're all about. You can have fun playing, and it's a fun time of year," he said. "The intensity is a little higher, and every game is extremely meaningful."

That intensity likely explains the extra testiness between teams on the ice. While neither team came to blows Tuesday, several confrontations on the ice did result in roughing penalties.

"It's not that it gets chippy, guys just take liberties a little more," McBain said. "It's not a big deal."

Officials Tuesday were noticeably more vigilant breaking up fights before they got started. And forechecks had an extra bit of emphasis in game one, particularly in a first period that saw the Steelheads dominate control of the puck.

Gulutzan said it's one thing the team needs to work on heading into the second game of the series.

"If we want to make any kind of noise in these playoffs, we need to be a little more solid and have a little more jump," he said. "I don't think we played our best game, we just capitalized on all their mistakes."

The first period in particular concerned Gulutzan.

"Sometimes a team catches another flat-footed," he said. "I hope at some point we can return the favor."