Tuesday, April 22, 2008 | 10:59 p.m.
Now the ECHL playoffs get interesting for the Las Vegas Wranglers.
They finished off the Stockton Thunder on Tuesday night, 4-1, at the Orleans Arena in a National Conference quarterfinal, winning the series in six games.
The Wranglers get the Alaska Aces next in a best-of-seven series that starts at the Orleans on Friday and Saturday night.
Las Vegas has never advanced beyond the conference semifinals in three attempts.
Alaska defeated the Wranglers in the upcoming round in 2004 and 2006, and the Aces won Kelly Cup championships each time.
Las Vegas will need more of what it got Tuesday night, two goals (including one empty-netter) from center Curtis Fraser and an outstanding performance by rookie goalie Kevin Lalande, to get by Alaska. In addition, center Tyler Mosienko scored the first Las Vegas goal and has been the most active Wrangler in the playoffs.
The victor will need to win two more series to lift the Kelly Cup, and it’s a safe bet that the conference semifinal series that begins Friday will determine this season’s ECHL champion.
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