Wranglers weary but winning on road trip

Nick Christensen

Friday, Nov. 26, 2004 | 9:04 a.m.

After reaching the low point in the two-year history of the franchise last week, the Las Vegas Wranglers left town Monday looking for something to put a spark on this season.

Whatever it was, it looks as if they found it. Three games and 3,148 miles through their eight-game, 13,606-mile roadtrip, the Wranglers are on a four-game winning streak.

Tuesday night at Lafayette, La., the Wranglers came back from a 3-1 third-period deficit for a 4-3 overtime win against the Louisiana Ice Gators, with goaltender Sebastien Centomo stopping 52 of 55 shots.

Wednesday in Beaumont, Texas, Las Vegas outshot the Texas Wildcatters 48-34 and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but still needed Jeff Attard's goal in overtime to come away with a 3-2 win.

And Thursday at Biloxi, Miss., Attard had two assists to help the Wranglers to a 3-2 win against the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

The streak is in sharp contrast to last year's one road trip east, when the Wranglers went 0-4-2.

"We've got a newer bus this year," Attard said by phone. "It's a lot more comfortable, the guys are bonding pretty well, and we're having a good time. Everyone's tired, and we've got to start winning. We didn't do it at home, we know we have to make up ground on the road."

Especially after last week, when the Wranglers lost at Bakersfield, then lost newly acquired forward Billy Tibbetts for 10 games for giving a concussion to the Condors' Todd Alexander. The next night at the Orleans Arena, the Wranglers went under .500 for the first time in franchise history with last Friday's loss to Idaho.

"When we go on the road, we play a little more simple. It's definitely the simple side of our game," Wranglers assistant coach Drew Schoneck said. "We're doing the little things right that we need to do to be successful. We're not trying to be fancy, and sometimes we get caught up at home. We're getting good goaltending, and some timely goals are helping us along the way."

Jason Spence, who had Las Vegas' first goal Thursday, said the line with him, Attard and Dana Lattery has been an offensive key with the team.

"We're all the same type of player," he said. "I'm not that good with the puck, so you get Lattery and Attard, you get them in front of the net and you might have a goal. We started (the line) last night, and we got our goal in our first shift last night."

Everything's not perfect for the free-range Wranglers as they trek across the South, particularly in the trip's opener on a stormy night in Lafayette. Las Vegas never had more shots in any period than Louisiana, as the Wranglers were outshot 55-27.

"We know we stole one," Attard said. "Those last two games, we played the way we wanted to."

But playing two overtime games in a row, including the opener against the top team in the South Division, has worn on the team. On the team's bus shortly after it began this morning's 718-mile trip from Biloxi to Fort Myers, Fla., Schoneck said the fatigue was starting to show.

"I kind of noticed it in the last five minutes of the third period tonight. Guys' shifts were awfully short," Schoneck said. "They kept them short -- they know they're tired. Their third game in three nights, but like we said coming into that period, do the little things right when you're tired. They did that and they came out with the win."

The team gets an off day on the sunny Florida Gulf Coast today, then plays the Everblades at Estero, Fla. on Saturday. After that game they'll bus 606 miles to Pensacola for a Sunday game, then back to Fort Myers for another game against the Everblades on Tuesday.