Cellar-dwelling Wranglers seek way out

The Wranglers entered their 21-day, 10-game trip in mid-January with a head of steam -- a 10-game point streak (7-0-3) -- and their first over-.500 record of the season.

They returned home this week in last place in the ECHL National Conference with 40 points, having suffered eight losses on the trip by a combined 36-16.

Now Las Vegas must face the conference-leading Idaho Steelheads (62 points) for three straight games tonight through Saturday. At least the Wranglers can take comfort in their 13-6-1 record at the Orleans Arena, because they got nothing accomplished on the road, where they are 5-16-3.

"We've got to find ways to win on the road. We're not going to be a very good team if we can't win on the road," coach Ryan Mougenel said. "We've been good at times, but we've had crazy lapses.

"If guys competed like Chris Neiszner, Kyle Hagel and Craig Switzer all the time, we wouldn't have a problem. But we have guys take nights off."

Las Vegas (18-22-4) is 2-2 this season against the Steelheads (30-11-2).

"It's a great challenge for us to get things going against arguably the best team in the league," Mougenel said.

The Wranglers lost defensemen Robbie Bina and Shay Stephenson during their trip. Both players left to play for more money in Norway. While Bina was one of the team's top scorers and named an ECHL All-Star, Stephenson, who has NHL experience, was a disappointment.

"Shay Stephenson was addition by subtraction," Mougenel said. "He didn't want to get back to the NHL."

Las Vegas also recently lost forward Francis Lemieux to Europe. Lemieux, who had been playing well for Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League, left for a more lucrative deal in Vienna, Austria.

Five Wranglers remain in the AHL: Nick Ross, Ryan Weston, Matt Watkins, Billy Sauer and goalie Joel Gistedt, promoted Tuesday to San Antonio.

Mougenel hopes adding 2005 NHL first-round draft pick Alex Bourret will help ignite the Wranglers' anemic offense. He has nine points (four goals) in eight games for Las Vegas.

"He's a real talented player, and he's definitely got a lot to prove," Mougenel said. "I think he realizes this is one of his last shots to get back to the NHL and hopefully he'll embrace it."

Bourret, drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, had 50 points in his rookie year in the AHL and 33 in his second season before scoring only three goals and 14 points last season for San Antonio.

He had one assist in 16 games this season in the Czech Republic before returning to North America after not getting paid for three months. Bourret said he hasn't played up to his potential.

"A point a game for me in the (ECHL) is not good enough. I'm better than that," he said. "I just need to adjust to the smaller ice. It's coming. I know I can score goals in this league."

Las Vegas is next-to-last in the league in goals (126) and last in power-play percentage (12.7, 32-for-251).

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.