The Las Vegas Wranglers opened their ECHL Western Conference semifinal series Monday night with a 3-1 win over visiting Idaho to get the jump on the Steelheads in the best-of-7 series.
Idaho goaltender Jerry Kuhn gave his team a chance on a night it was outshot 46-18 -- he stopped 43 shots; Scott Campbell's empty-net goal was his second strike of the night for the Wranglers, who swept Utah in three games in the first round.
Out East, Florida rallied from a three-goal deficit halfway through the game to beat visiting Elmira, 5-4, in OT and take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. Defenseman David Fischer scored with three seconds left in OT.
Florida trailed 4-1 midway through the game, but erupted for a three-goal blitz in 2:03 of the latter half of the second period.
Big shot difference in that game too -- Florida outshot Elmira 55-32.
Idaho and LV play Game 2 tonight. Wednesday features three games. The Alaska Aces and Stockton Thunder, tied 1-1, play Game 3 in California; Florida entertains Elmira; and Kalamazoo, up 2-0 on South Carolina, plays Game 3 on the road against the Stingrays.


