Stephen Sylvanie/Special to the Sun
Wranglers goaltender Joe Fallon stands tall in net as Ontario forward C.J. Stretch (right) swipes at a bouncing puck in the Las Vegas crease during the second period of play at the Orleans Arena on Thursday night. At left, Ash Goldie looks to gain control of the puck to clear it.
Friday, Dec. 9, 2011 | 12:08 a.m.
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Las Vegas forward Judd Blackwater scored a goal and recorded two assists to help the Wranglers win their third consecutive game Thursday at the Orleans Arena with a 5-2 victory over the Ontario (Calif.) Reign.
“He’s a very creative player that’s recommitted himself to the game,” Wranglers head coach Ryan Mougenel said of Blackwater. “He’s got himself into great shape and when you do that you put yourself in a great position.
“I can’t say enough about how much he has matured since I met him two years ago,” Mougenel said. “He’s matured a lot as a person and as a player.”
Blackwater played a role in each of the Wranglers’ first three goals as they opened up a 3-0 lead after the first two periods.
Blackwater started the scoring for the Wranglers with a goal at the 7:05 mark of the first period. He was assisted on the goal by forward Adam Miller.
Las Vegas added to its lead in the second period when Eric Lampe fired a shot off the side of Reign goaltender Chris Cariozzi and the puck deflected into the cage for his ECHL leading 18th goal of the season. Lampe was aided by assists from Blackwater and defenseman Mike Madill.
Wranglers center Ash Goldie handed Las Vegas a 3-0 lead at the 14:19 mark of the second period as he scored a goal for the third consecutive game with assists coming from Miller and Blackwater.
“It’s definitely good for the confidence,” said Goldie, who’s scored six points in the last three games. “Whenever you are playing with confidence it is a good thing. Hopefully, it can keep going and I can continue to get better.”
Reign right winger Derek Couture scored a rebound goal early in the third period to put Ontario on the scoreboard.
Wranglers forward Josh Lunden responded with a power-play goal with 7:36 remaining in regulation to extend the lead back to a three-goal advantage.
After Ontario center C.J. Stretch cut the deficit to 4-2 on a goal with just over four minutes remaining, Las Vegas forward Chris Francis sealed the game with an empty net goal in the waning minutes of the game to give the Wranglers a 5-2 victory.
Stars of the game: 1. Judd Blackwater (1 goal, 2 assists); 2. Adam Miller (2 assists); 3. Mike Madill (2 assists).
Top scorers: With three points, Blackwater moved into sole possession of third place on the ECHL scoring list with 28 points on the season coming from 11 goals and 17 assists. With Lampe’s ECHL-leading 18th goal of the season, he moved into a tie for fourth place on the scoring list with 25 points.
Fallon on fire: Las Vegas goaltender Joe Fallon picked up 30 saves in Thursday’s victory. He has combined for 56 saves this week in two victories over Pacific Division opponents.
Next up: The Wranglers return to the ice on Friday as they host Ontario at 7:05 p.m. for the second game of the three-game series. Las Vegas travels to Ontario, Calif., on Saturday for the final game of the three-game set with action getting under way at 6 p.m.
Final word: “It’s huge,” Goldie said of Las Vegas opening up an eight-point lead on Ontario. “We want to try to pull away and we want to try to win every game, especially games at home. We have a lot of games this week, so we can really put some points on the board and that’s our goal.”
The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation’s leading mid-sized arenas, and was recently ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 5 internationally among venues of similar size by Venues Today Magazine.
The Arena hosts more than 200 events each year, including concerts by top names like Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Van Halen, Brooks & Dunn, Black Eyed Peas, Akon and Rihanna; family favorites like The Harlem Globetrotters and Circus Spectacular; and a wide variety of sporting events, including NCAA basketball tournaments, the West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference Basketball Championships, mixed martial arts with Superior Cage Combat, and major motorsports events.
The arena serves as home to the Las Vegas Wranglers professional ECHL hockey team, the Las Vegas Legends professional indoor soccer team, and the Lingerie Football League’s Las Vegas Sin. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena).
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