Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004 | 9:59 a.m.
When new Las Vegas Wranglers forward Billy Tibbetts was announced in the starting lineup before Tuesday's game against the Greenville Grrrowl, many cheers and a lone, loud boo burst from the crowd of 3,912 at the Orleans Arena.
Tibbetts, who came into Tuesday's game second in the league in penalty minutes, skated his cleanest game of the season by far, showing the skating and puck control skills that got him 82 games in the NHL while avoiding confrontations that have plagued him on the ice. While he did lay some hard checks on Greenville players, he seemed to make a point of staying clear of scrums, instead waiting at the faceoff circle hunched over and away from the action.
It was Tibbetts' first home game since signing with Las Vegas on Nov. 18. That night at Bakersfield, Tibbetts cross-checked the Condors' Todd Alexander, leaving Alexander with a concussion and Tibbetts with an ejection. He was later suspended for 10 games, and played his first full game in five weeks last Friday at Idaho.
Sitting alone in the back of section 119 at the Orleans Arena, ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna watched as Tibbetts made his home debut. McKenna said he thinks Tibbetts is a victim of the NHL lockout, which has forced NHL-caliber players to the American Hockey League and AHL players into the ECHL.
"I think from a skill level, he has the talent to play at a higher level," McKenna said.
McKenna also said he felt that things between Tibbetts and Bakersfield should have been settled by the suspension. The Condors play at Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday, the teams' first meetings since the Nov. 18 incident.
"Billy Tibbetts is a very good player, and last year he basically did not have a major incident. Unfortunately he had an incident at Bakersfield," McKenna said. "I suspect and I hope things will go without another incident, and hopefully both teams can move forward."
As for his playing shape, Tibbetts said he's slowly coming around from the five weeks he did not play.
"I'm starting to get back," Tibbetts said. "I play better every game. I thought I was better than the last game and I'll continue to get better."
Even with Tibbetts' abilities, the Wranglers were unable to get past Greenville goaltender Mike Morrison, who had 45 saves in the Grrrowl's 1-0 win.
Call it a sophomore slump or a home-ice disadvantage, but whatever the reason the Wranglers are 4-5-0 at the Orleans Arena this year, it's becoming increasingly irritating to the second-year ECHL franchise.
This time it was Greenville coming to Las Vegas and leaving with the one-goal victory, nearly a month after the Wranglers last played a home game. Two of the Wranglers' home wins came in shootouts, and another was against struggling expansion franchise Victoria.
"It just seems like we play at home like we expect to win," frustrated Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We have a losing record at home -- we're not getting up to play here."
Las Vegas was outshot 11-9 in the first period, and one of those shots included a controversial call midway through the first period when referee Chris Ciamaga waved off Jeff Attard's goal. Ciamaga lost sight of the puck as it went toward the net and whistled the play dead shortly before the puck crossed into the net.
But neither Gulutzan nor any other Wranglers would blame the call on their loss Tuesday.
"It was a hit or miss call, I certainly didn't think it had any impact on the game," Gulutzan said. "I think the key to this game was the way we came out. We had a team in Greenville that played three games in three nights, and this team (the Wranglers) was fresh, in my mind. We came out and felt the game out, like we were waiting to see what they were going to do."
Martin St. Pierre's goal with 4:43 left in the third period was the only blemish on an otherwise strong 27-save night for Las Vegas' Marc Magliarditi. After the goal, the Wranglers opened up a barrage, outshooting Greenville 23-7 in the final period. But Morrison was able to hold on for the shutout, and Las Vegas was below .500 at home yet again.
"We had a sense of desperation," Las Vegas forward Dana Lattery said of the late shooting gallery. "As a team we need to learn to win."
The loss was especially puzzling coming after the Wranglers went 5-3-2 on their recent 10-game road trip.
"On the road, we want tight games, we want 0-0, that's fine," Gulutzan said. "At home we have to have a little more of a killer instinct. We have to come out with some fire and try to win one."
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