Wranglers win thriller against Stockton

By Ed Hauth

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011 | 12:04 a.m.

Las Vegas (7-4-1-1) forward Peter MacArthur scored a game-tying goal with 10 seconds left in regulation and Adam Miller scored a goal with 26 seconds left in overtime to give the Wranglers a 4-3 victory against Stockton on Saturday at the Orleans Arena in front of 5,076 fans.

“It was exciting to show up to the rink. Warm-ups were even loud,” Miller said. “It’s great for the team and for the city for them to support us like that. Hopefully we get a lot more turnouts like that.”

The game started off with a bang, literally, as the Wranglers were involved in two fights in the opening four seconds of the contest.

Wranglers forward Adam Huxley and Thunder left winger Garet Hunt got into a fight just as the puck was being dropped.

A few seconds later, Wranglers forward Robbie Smith drew a five-minute penalty for fighting as he mixed it up with Stockton right winger Cameron Abney.

For the second consecutive game, the Wranglers battled back from a 2-0 deficit to force overtime and come away victorious.

After Stockton defenseman Nathan Deck scored the opening goal at the 2:26 mark of the first period, Thunder center Jordan Foreman scored a goal from just outside the crease to extend the lead to 2-0 less than five minutes later.

Eric Lampe continued his scoring spree for the Wranglers as he received a centering pass in front of the net from MacArthur and fired the puck around Thunder goaltender Olivier Roy for the Wranglers' first goal of the game.

After Stockton took a 3-1 advantage midway through the second period, Wranglers forward Scott Campbell was able to get his stick on a Miller slap shot and deflect the puck into the back of the net to cut the deficit to 3-2.

With less than a minute remaining in the third period, the Wranglers pulled their goalie to take a 6-on-5 man advantage.

The Wranglers feasted off the man advantage as MacArthur was able to put a rebound goal in the net with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game at three goals apiece.

“We did a great job of keeping pucks alive on that last 6-on-5,” MacArthur said. “We kept the puck alive at the blue line and we got some pucks to the net, and luckily we were able to bury one of the rebounds. It’s nice to get another win at home.”

In overtime, Miller intercepted a Stockton pass and was able to make a move on a defender to get an open shot off and tally the game-winning goal.

Stars of the game: 1. Adam Miller (1 goal, 1 assist); 2. Peter MacArthur (1 goal, 1 assist); 3. Mike Madill (2 assists).

Overtime hero: Las Vegas goaltender David Brown came up with eight saves in the overtime period, including a nice kick save, a diving save, and two beautiful glove saves to help kill a Thunder power play opportunity.

Big Shooters: The Wranglers outshot the Thunder 39-32 on the night, including a 37-24 margin in regulation. Judd Blackwater led the way with nine shots on goal.

Next up: The Wranglers face the Thunder today at 2:05 p.m. for the second game of a two-game set at the Orleans Arena. As Military Appreciation Weekend continues, all active and retired military and their families will receive free admission and a chance to skate with the Wranglers players following the conclusion of the game.

Final word: “As a coach, it’s great to see guys battle hard for each other,” said Wranglers head coach Ryan Mougenel. “It’s real rewarding, especially at the beginning of the season. I think the guys are starting to really care for each other. I’m real impressed with some of the young kids we have.”