One night after the Alaska Aces received a big favor in their quest for the ECHL's Brabham Cup as regular-season champs -- Colorado beat Ontario -- it looks like the Aces will have to take care of some of their own business tonight in Bakersfield.

Brabham contender Elmira beat host and league basement dweller Trenton 2-1 in OT tonight, so the Jackals didn't lose any ground to Alaska -- Artem Demkov's goal with just 57 seconds left in extra time pushed Elmira within two points of the Aces with two games to play.

And Brabham contender Gwinnett, which began the night trailing the Aces by just three points, leads 2-0 at Florida with just 5:36 left (UPDATE: Gwinnett won 2-0) -- so the Gladiators seized two more points and now is within just a point of the Aces.

Of course, Ontario is at Colorado again tonight (UPDATE: Scoreless after one period). A regulation loss by Ontario would eliminate it from Brabham contention and also handed the Western Conference crown, and a first-round bye, to the Aces.

But no matter what happens anywhere else, an Aces victory of any kind against Bakersfield would earn them the Western Conference title and eliminate both Ontario and Elmira from Brabham contention.