Loaded Las Vegas -- the Wranglers' top two lines will get a goaltender's attention -- jumped to a 2-0 series lead in its best-of-7, ECHL Western Conference semifinal series with the Idaho Steelheads with tonight's 3-2 win in overtime.
Scott Campbell scored just 91 seconds into OT off helpers from Chris Francis and Geoff Paukovich -- and that's the Wranglers' third line, folks.
The other Las Vegas goals came from former UAA Seawolves winger Josh Lunden and Peter MacArthur, both back this week from the AHL.
Not too put too fine a point on it, but the Wranglers' first two lines -- Adam Miller, Eric Lampe and former Aces winger Judd Blackwater, and Lunden, Ash Goldie (younger brother of Aces winger Wes) and MacArthur -- this season accounted for 137 goals in 268 ECHL games. Four of those dudes spent significant time in the AHL this season -- MacArthur (25 games), Blackwater (17), Lampe (16) and Lunden (14). All Ash Goldie has done is be a 40-goal scorer in the ECHL. Milller? Oh, he was second-team All-ECHL. Lampe led the circuit in goals this regular season with 37 in just 52 games.
Those six forwards accounted for 34 shots on goal tonight.
Idaho goalie Jerry Kuhn turned in another stellar performance, stopping 42 of 45 shots. He owns a .943 save percentage in these playoffs.
Las Vegas' Mitch O'Keefe, who remains the club's starter even though Joe Fallon returned from the AHL in time for Monday's Game 1 Wranglers win, stopped 28 shots. He leads playoff goalies in goals-against average (1.39) and save percentage (.951), and is 5-0, as are the
Wranglers.


