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twitterECHL PLAYOFFS:
Wranglers rally to force Game 7
Stephen R. Sylvanie / Special to the Las Vegas Sun
Las Vegas Wranglers right winger J.D. Watt (left) celebrates with teammate Mike Hamilton after scoring the game winning goal against the Bakersfield Condors at the Orleans Arena on Tuesday night. The Wranglers will now face the Condors in the decisive games seven Wednesday at the Orleans Arena.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 | 1 a.m.
Playoff Schedule
- Game 1: Bakersfield at Las Vegas on Friday, April 10th (W: 3-1)
- Game 2: Bakersfield at Las Vegas on Saturday, April 11th (L: 2-3)
- Game 3: Las Vegas at Bakersfield on Wednesday, April 15th (L: 5-6 OT)
- Game 4: Las Vegas at Bakersfield on Friday, April 17th (W: 4-0)
- Game 5: Las Vegas at Bakersfield on Saturday, April 18th (L: 4-3 OT)
- Game 6: Bakersfield at Las Vegas on Tuesday, April 21st (W: 3-1)
- Game 7: Bakersfield at Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at the Orleans Arena
Related stories
- Condors rip Wranglers in overtime (4-19-09)
- Wranglers blank Condors to even series (4-18-09)
- Wranglers squander lead, fall in overtime (4-16-09)
- Condors shock Wranglers with late rally (4-12-09)
- Wranglers grab early lead in playoffs (4-11-09)
- Rookie forward shoulders heavy expectations (4-10-09)
- New Wranglers aim to carry on grand playoff tradition (4-8-09)
- Wranglers bury Thunder in regular season finale (4-5-09)
- Rookie’s stellar debut sparks Wranglers (4-4-09)
- Wranglers clinch playoff spot despite recent losses (3-30-09)
- Wranglers mount comeback to snap losing skid (3-28-09)
- Peter Ferraro suspended for season (3-27-09)
- Emotions boil over as Aces sink Wranglers (3-25-09)
- Alaska snaps Wranglers’ win streak (3-21-09)
- Rookie’s hot debut ignites Wranglers (3-21-09)
- Stellar goaltending extends Wranglers’ hot streak (3-18-09)
Expanded hockey coverage
The Las Vegas Wranglers stared down elimination Tuesday night and apparently didn't like what they saw.
With their season on the line in Game 6 of the Pacific Division semifinals, the Wranglers dug themselves out of a one-goal hole to bury the Bakersfield Condors 3-1 in front of 3,118 fans at the Orleans Arena and force an all-or-nothing Game 7 on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
"We were in a corner, we had no choice but to win tonight," said Wranglers goalie Glenn Fisher, who stopped 30 shots in the victory. "Tonight is over, though. It's all about tomorrow now. Game Six is meaningless if you don't win Game 7."
There almost was no tomorrow for the Wranglers, however.
After a scoreless first period in which both squads struggled to generate much offensive pressure, the Condors opened the second period with a Dave Bonk goal for the 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the period.
"The start of our game was not what we wanted," forward J.D. Watt said. "We didn't come out like we should have. We weren't hitting as much. We weren't skating as much. (Gulutzan) came in and kind of tore a strip out of all of us."
The Wranglers eventually shook off their sluggish start and answered Bonk's goal late in the second period.
Defenseman Dan Spang led a three-on-one fastbreak during a Wranglers power play and decided to keep the puck as he fired a wrist shot past Bakersfield goalie Yutaka Fukufuji to tie the game 1-1 with 1:56 remaining in the period. Spang now has five points in his last four games.
"Spang's goal was an NHL goal," Las Vegas coach Glen Gulutzan said. "There are not many guys that can score like the way he did there. If you don't know what I mean, he just had no space. He had no time. He just snapped the puck like an NHLer would and caught the goalie just not ready for that type of shot. It's an NHL release. I don't know if anyone else is going to score that goal."
With momentum shifted back in their favor, the Wranglers carried their offensive surge into the third period.
Watt put Las Vegas on top 2-1 while on a power play when he deflected a Sean Owens slap shot from the point just 2:04 into the final period.
Less than four minutes later, Dan Riedel buried a crossing feed from Kelly Czuy for the 3-1 lead.
"Yeah, that one felt good," Riedel said. "I spent the last two days puking in bed with food poisoning, so it felt good to get out there and with guys like Czuy and (Adam) Miller, it makes things easy."
Bakersfield was unable to slip anything past Fisher for the rest of the night as the Wranglers extended their season at least one more night.
Las Vegas has played in only one prior Game 7, which they won on April 19, 2006, when they beat Idaho 6-2 in the division semifinals.
"It's going to come down to who wants it more -– who wants to keep playing more," Gulutzan said.
Stars of the game: Glenn Fisher (30 saves); 2. Dan Riedel (1 goal); 3. J.D. Watt (1 goal)
Fish is it: After a 1-1 start to the series, Gulutzan benched Fisher in favor of John DeCaro, for the road portion in Bakersfield.
But after Fisher's 30-save outing Tuesday, Gultuzan said he is sticking with Fisher for Game 7.
"I thought Fisher played well," Gulutzan said. "I thought he could play the puck a bit better, but he made really big saves when we needed them at crucial points in the game. That's the kind of goaltending you need to win in the playoffs. You don't need to stand on your head. You need to make good saves at critical times and he did that."
Defensive swap: Gulutzan reinserted defensemen Mike Madill and Jason Dest into Tuesday night's lineup while scratching defensemen Bret Tyler and Brandon Straub. Tyler and Straub had played in games four and five while Madill and Dest were scratched. Gulutzan said he will decide the lineup for Game 7 on Wednesday morning.
Mosienko returns: The feisty and offensively potent center Tyler Mosienko is on his way to Las Vegas. Mosienko, who has spent the last 19 games with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League, should suit up for the Wranglers' Game 7 after the Milwaukee Admirals completed a sweep of the IceHogs Tuesday night.
Mosienko notched 13 points in his stint with Rockford. In 50 games with the Wranglers this season, Mosienko scored 18 goals and tallied 30 assists.
Forward Matt Beaudoin is the last Las Vegas player in the AHL. He is currently with the Houston Aeros, who are locked in a 2-2 tie in the West Division semifinals with the Peoria Rivermen.
Lucky No. 7: Las Vegas will host the 17th Game 7 in ECHL history Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. as the Ontario Reign and Stockton Thunder clash in the 16th Game 7 at 7 p.m.
The home team has won 11-of-15 times (73.3 percent) in Game 7. Bakersfield was actually the first team to play in two game sevens in a single postseason when they did so in 2006. The Condors beat Long Beach in the division semifinals that year before losing to Fresno in the division finals.
Payback deliverance: The Wranglers' staff did not take too kindly to the playing of "Rhinestone Cowboy" when the Wranglers were introduced at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. In response, the infamous dueling banjos scene from "Deliverance" played while the Condors took the ice Tuesday. I love it. However, although this was hilarious, it was also terrifying. If anyone else has made the drive to and from Bakersfield, they know exactly what I'm talking about. Oil pumps and cotton fields -- better keep the doors locked.
Final word: "To be honest I was pissed off in between the first and second periods," Gulutzan said. "I didn't call guys out, but I questioned what kind of desire level we had to keep the series going. They responded so there must be something there. You might just have to light it every now and then. We've got to be better tomorrow if we want to win."
Steve Silver can be reached at 948-7822 or steve.silver@lasvegassun.com.
Discussion: 16 comments so far…
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Come on Vegas. Let's get some people in that building tonight and make it a true home ice advantage.
Steve, if you break down in Bako, think of the Vacation movies.
Mechanic 2: Ain't never seen anyone so stupid as you driving off that road. You musta got manure for your brains.
Clark: Yeah, well, we're from out of town. How much do I owe you?
Mechanic 1: How much you got?
Yikes.
I'm not ready for the season to be over yet. Let's hope that the addition of Mosi can keep up the momentum. I'd love to see Stockton in the next round.
Steve, you're doing a stellar job!
Hope the men come out and play with some emotion tonite. They played a terrible 30 mins of hockey last night. I thought the game started changing when they Czuy ran over Fuji and the team killed off the subsequent 5 on 3 resulting from it.
I love Watt's energy good to have him back. The Miller, Czuy, Riedel line has been great all series.
I also heard that the mayor of Anchorage has invited the Duke to be the Grand Marshall of the annual Alaska popcorn festival. Steve anyway you can confirm that :-)
Go Wranglers
I love the excitement here. I'm amped for a game 7 and I'm just sitting in the stands. You have to imagine the organization could find a way to get more than 3,000 people to this one.
I feel like "stellar" is going to be the word of the day for a long time, eh?
Randolf, I'm not sure on that popcorn parade, but I was actually invited to Anchorage by their fans to see what "warm and inviting people" they are. I think I'll stay put for now.
I see I will never live the "stellar" comment down. I had you on the ropes Steve and I blew it with my spelling and you KO'd me as you should have!!!
you're "amped for game 7" are you? i guess we shouldn't read the Sun for impartial reporting.
All I know is that I will be runing any future posts to Steve's articels threw a spel chekker. LOL
Randolf, you're a real "Richard" !!!!
Carrie_oaki, who wouldn't be excited about a game 7? It doesn't matter who wins. Any game 7 in any sport with any teams is something I will always get amped about it -- and I'm not going to hide that.
What kind of a sports reporter would just go to a game 7 and pretend it's like any regular season game and not recognize the importance for both teams. I'm mainly amped about seeing who draws first blood. Will both teams come out timid again or is this going to be an all out war?
How much ice time with Bakersfield's top line get? What defensive pairing faces that line for Las Vegas? How do the goalies react to the pressure? Where does Mosienko fit into the lineup?
Any real sports fans out there who don't get excited for game 7? Please tell me now.
Carrie, you have missed the point. It's not about who wins, it's about the game itself.
quick note on the "Deliverance" section. I previously credited this hilarious prank to the Orleans Arena and it was the Wranglers' front office that drummed that one up. Gotta give credit where credit is due.
We've got some action on the blog today!!! Game 7 is the best in any sport for fans and media alike. Now OT in a game 7 is not for the faint of heart. Now that would send me to the alligator bar for some hard liquor during intermissions.
Carrie - Steve is right. Game 7!!! Sudden death one mistake can end your season. One great play extends it. Who will be a hero? Who will be a goat? This is what it's all about. If you can't get amped up for a game 7 then you aren't a fan doesn't matter whether you are a media member, fan of Bako or Vegas or even a banjo player from the backwoods!!!
Steve - Aces fans "warm and inviting" sounds like an oxymoron to me!!!
Winthorpe - How did you know my middle name???
Many thanks Steve for the reporting you have done on the Wranglers. It is good to know that some of the local media supports our professional hockey team. I can always count on an article from you. Game 7 has been put to bed and the Wranglers head to Stockton. As for Alaska fans being warm and inviting...have to say they are. I went up to Alaska for some games last year and was never harassed or made fun of. But on the same note..I think what Duke did with he popcorn was all in fun and was taken all wrong.
GO WRANGLERS!!!!
Thanks LPN4LIFE. I'm finishing up tonight's story right now. I appreciate the support, be sure to tell other hockey fans.
Maybe if the Wranglers get past Stockton, I can sample some of that Anchorage hospitality.
Steve, you must represent us in Alaska WHEN the Wranglers get past Stockton and continue your stelle... um, stellar coverage. As always, great talking with you tonight. They look good. Keep up the good work. This is going to be a long playoff run.