Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Wranglers held scoreless for most of game in loss to Bakersfield

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STEPHEN SYLVANIE / SPECIAL TO THE SUN

Bakersfield Condors goaltender Matt Keetley deflects a shot from the point while being screened by Geoff Paukovich during a first period Wranglers power play on Friday night.

Wranglers vs. Bakersfield

Defensemen Alain Goulet, left and Mike Madill battle for position along the boards behind the Condors net as Las Vegas hosted Bakersfield on Friday night at the Orleans Arena. Launch slideshow »

After taking a 1-0 lead in the opening minutes of action on a Scott Campbell goal, the Wranglers were held scoreless the final 57 minutes of play as Bakersfield rallied back for a 2-1 victory Friday at the Orleans Arena.

Campbell scored a power-play goal at the 2:51 mark of the game as he rebounded a Geoff Paukovich shot near the crease and scored in front of an open net as he caught Condor goaltender Matt Keetley out of position.

The Condors tied the game less than three minutes later as forward Tyler Helfrich used his stick to redirect a Ryan Annesley shot into the back of the Wranglers net.

Bakersfield took the lead for good at the 17:17 mark of the first period when the Condors passed the puck around the Las Vegas zone to find Peter Boyd for an open slap shot from the slot for what proved to be the game-winner.

Both teams were held scoreless in the final two periods. Bakersfield played conservatively on offense in the final period as it tallied only one shot-on-goal in the final frame.

The Condors defense played tough in the third period as they held the Wranglers to six shots in the final 20 minutes of action.

The Wranglers' best chance to tie the game occurred with just under 11 minutes to go in regulation when Channing Boe fired a slap shot off the post from outside the left circle.

“I was disappointed in pretty much everything tonight,” Las Vegas head coach Ryan Mougenel said. “We didn’t look ready to play and that’s on me. It was disappointing being unemotional in front of a big house. It was brutal.”

Keetley atoned for his early miscue as he stopped 28 of the 29 Wranglers shots-on-goal. Eric Lampe led Las Vegas in shots with six followed by Jamie Fritsch who had five.

Stars of the game: 1. Matt Keetley (28 saves); 2. Peter Boyd (Game-winning goal); 3. Scott Campbell (1 goal).

“Guns ‘n’ Hoses”: Saturday’s “Guns ‘n’ Hoses” game between Las Vegas and New York police and firefighters resulted in more than $4,000 for the Injured Police Officers Fund of Nevada and the Nevada Burn Foundation. Over 1,00 tickets were purchased for the game that took place prior to the Wranglers series finale against Alaska.

Lunden and Goers to AHL: Left winger Josh Lunden and defenseman Barry Goers have each been called up to American Hockey League teams. Lunden was called up to the St. John’s IceCaps while Goers got the nod from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Next up: The Wranglers return to the ice Saturday evening as they travel to Bakersfield to face the Condors at Rabobank Arena. The Wranglers return home to the Orleans Arena on Sunday for an afternoon tilt against Ontario at 2:05 p.m.

Final word: “They had a plan and they executed it,” Mougenel said. “It just shows that any night in this league if guys come committed and willing to outwork you, you’re going to lose. We didn’t work and we didn’t execute. We weren’t good.”

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