Rage spoil Avs quest for 2nd place with 5-2 win
Dawson Creek 5 @ Alaska 2 – Paul Bourbeau made 40 saves, Tyson McCallum scored twice and Carter Page added a goal and an assist as the Dawson Creek Rage took just 13 shots and scored five goals en route to a 5-2 win in Alaska against the Avalanche in the lone NAHL game on Wednesday night.
The Avalanche were seeking the #2 spot in the West, but it was not to be thanks in large part to timely scoring and some solid goaltending from the Rage’s Bourbeau. The Rage got things kick started in the 1st period thanks to two goals from Tyson McCallum, coming less than three minutes apart from one another. Carter Page assisted on the first goal and Troy Petrick assisted on the second goal.
Alaska brought the score to within 2-1 as Brandon Brossoit lit the lamp midway through the 2nd period with assists to Tanner Fahlstedt and Wehebe Darge. However, Petrick picked up his second point of the night with the eventual game-winning goal less than two minutes after Alaska scored to increase Rage lead back to two goals at 3-1. Josh Hartley and Ryan Matthews picked up assists.
Despite being outshot 18-3 in the 3rd period, Dawson Creek scored twice, answering a goal from Alaska’s Kevin Novakovich, who made it 3-2. Page scored right after that to make it 4-2 with an assist to Keenan Bailey. Bailey would assist on the fifth and final Rage goal of the night which came with just over six minutes remaining as Jason Wark scored with another assist to Shawn Mueller for the final 5-2 score.
The Rage were outshot 42-13, but the big difference in the game was goaltending as Bourbeau shined with 40 saves. Bodhi Engum made eight saves in the loss.
Each team has two games remaining in the regular season. Dawson Creek, who will miss the playoffs, will travel to Fairbanks this weekend for two games with the West Division Champion Ice Dogs, while Alaska prepares to host Kenai River in a series with major playoff implications and positioning for both teams.