With five wins in their last six games to close out a 7-2-1 homestand, the Aces improve to 18-18-3 overall in reaching the .500 mark for the first time since December 12 heading into the All-Star Break.  Alaska begins a six-game, two-week road trip in Stockton next Friday and Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. AT.  Both games will be broadcast live on KFQD 750 AM, with coverage getting underway from Stockton Arena at 6:15 p.m.  In five previous meetings between the two clubs, the road team has won each time, as the Aces swept a pair from the Thunder in Stockton November 6-7, only to lose all three games of a series played in Anchorage December 11-13.

 

On Saturday against the Wranglers, a team that has now dropped four in a row after a 10-game unbeaten streak and has just one win in its last 16 games on the road, Alaska snapped a scoreless tie by converting a five-on-three power play opportunity with 1:55 left in the first period.  Imbeault found Bryan Miller alone in the left circle, who banked a shot off the right post for his fourth goal of the season.

 

Imbeault's first goal came on a breakaway at 3:15 of the second period as he deked Vegas goalie Michael Ouzas out of position before slipping home a forehand shot.  Four minutes later, Doyle stopped a penalty shot awarded to Las Vegas defenseman Chris Frank, and Imbeault pushed the lead to 3-0 on another Alaska power play at 11:49 of the middle frame, ripping a wrist shot over the shoulder of Ouzas for his 16th goal of the year. 

 

The Aces out-shot the Wranglers 18-6 in the second period but took six minor penalties to start the third period and watched as the visitors racked up the first 17 shots of the frame.  Alaska's first shot on goal in the final period came with 2:35 left on the clock, but Las Vegas never solved Doyle and finished 0-for-10 on the power play Saturday and 0-for-16 in the series.  Doyle remains unbeaten (5-0-1) in six starts for the Aces with a 1.97 GAA and a .937 save percentage.

 

Nick Mazzolini and John Lammers (currently on an AHL call-up to Providence) will represent Alaska at the 2010 All-Star festivities this week in Ontario, Calif.  Lammers will participate in the Sher-wood Hockey Puck Control Relay and the Bull Outdoor Products Rapid Fire Competition, while Mazzolini is scheduled to compete in the Reebok 8.0.8 Hardest Shot event at the 13th Annual ECHL All-Star Skills Competition Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. AT.  The 18th annual ECHL All-Star Game will be held Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. AT with Lammers starting for the National Conference.  The game will be televised locally on GCI Cable Channel 1.