WRANGLERS HEAD TO KELLY CUP FINALS, SWEEP GRIZLLIES WITH 5-2 WIN

West Valley, UT -The Las Vegas Wranglers defeated the Utah Grizzlies 5-2 in Game Four of the National Conference Finals on Friday night in front of 3,982 fans at the E-Center. With the victory, the Wranglers sweep the Grizzlies to advance to the Kelly Cup Finals, where they will face the winner of the Cincinnati and South Carolina series. Cincinnati leads the series 3-1, with Game Five on Saturday night in Charleston, SC. An announcement of the schedule for the Kelly Cup Finals will be made within the next few days.

Right wing Adam Cracknell scored and added two assists, leading Las Vegas to a four-goal outburst in the first period. Goalie Kevin Lalande stopped 27 Utah shots for his 11th post-season win. Defensemen Mike Madill and Jason Krischuk each scored their first playoff goal. Forwards Kelly Czuy and Curtis Fraser also scored as the Wranglers advance to the Kelly Cup Finals for the first time in team history.

Las Vegas enjoyed a four-goal outburst in the first period, building a 4-1 lead after the opening period of play. The scoring started early for the Wranglers with defenseman Mike Madill feathering a shot from the high-slot through traffic and into the back of the Utah net at 2:09. Right wing Adam Cracknell and left wing Bruce Mulherin set up Madill’s first goal of the playoffs and a 1-0 Las Vegas lead. Utah would counter to tie the game 1-1 as Ryan Kinasewich tallied his eighth goal of the playoffs at 7:59. Las Vegas would break open the game with three unanswered goals in the period.

The outburst started at 11:02 when forward Aki Seitsonen picked off a pass at the Utah blue-line, springing Curtis Fraser on a breakaway. Fraser snapped his seventh goal of the playoffs past the blocker of Nathan Lawson for the 2-1 Wranglers lead. Las Vegas would make it 3-1 at 16:55 as left wing Shawn Limpright floated a pass from the left-wing circle to the high slot. Cracknell, who was left all alone in the Utah slot, redirected the pass through the legs of Lawson for his eighth goal of the playoffs. Less than three minutes later, the Wranglers expanded their lead to three as center Adam Miller carried the puck in behind the Grizzlies net and centered to the front of the net. Left wing Kelly Czuy finished off the play, lifting the puck under the cross bar for his sixth goal of the playoffs. Cracknell picked up the second assist on the power-play goal, registering his third point of the period.

In the second period, Utah pulled within a pair of goals at 8:39 of the middle period. Defenseman James Sanford scored off a centering pass from Tyler Haskins. Sanford snapped a wrist shot on the glove side of Kevin Lalande, cutting the Las Vegas lead to 4-2. The Wranglers tallied for the fifth time of the night with a four-on-four goal by defenseman Jason Krischuk. Rigth wing Peter Ferraro spotted Krischuk knifing down the lane from the blue-line and centered to Krischuk in the slot. The second-year Wrangler snapped a wrist shot past Utah goalie Mike Mole for the 5-2 lead at 18:17.

Las Vegas Wranglers vs. Utah Grizzlies - National Conference Finals (best of seven series):
Game 1: Utah 2 at Las Vegas 5
Game 2: Utah 3 at Las Vegas 4 OT
Game 3: Las Vegas 3 at Utah 2 OT
Game 4: Las Vegas 5 at Utah 2 (Las Vegas wins series 4-0)

Box Score 1 2 3 F
Las Vegas 4 1 0 5
Utah 1 1 0 2

First Period
Scoring: 1. LV Madill (1) (Cracknell, Mulherin) 2:09. 2. UT Kinasewich (8) (Haskins, K. Johnson) 7:59. 3. LV Fraser (7) (Seitsonen) 11:02. 4. LV Cracknell (8) (Limpright, Mulherin) 16:55. 5. LV Czuy (6) (Cracknell, Miller) ppg 19:29. Penalties: UT Haley (roughing) 5:05. LV Fraser (roughing) 5:05. LV Limpright (elbowing) 12:33. UT Sirianni (cross checking) 16:55.

Second Period
Scoring: 6. UT Sanford (3) (Haskins, MacDonald) ppg 8:39. 7. LV Krischuk (1) (P. Ferraro, Burke) 18:17. Penalties: LV Strachan (hooking) 1:59. LV Jozsa (holding) 6:46. LV Mulherin (charging) 12:19. UT J. Johnson (interference) 12:19. UT Hart (holding) 13:53. UT Haskins (slashing) 15:59. LV Fraser (tripping) 16:45. UT Dwyer (goalie interference) 17:26.

Third Period
Scoring: None. Penalties: UT Hart (high sticking) 2:44. LV Czuy (interference) 6:14. UT MacDonald (high sticking) 7:26. UT Haley (10-minute misconduct, unsportsmanlike conduct) 7:26. UT J. Johnson (high sticking) 13:02. UT Sanford (slashing) 13:43. UT Sanford (goalie interference) 17:30.

Shots: LV 14-7-11-=32 UT 9-14-6=29
Penalties: LV 7-14 UT 13-34
Power Plays: LV 1-10 UT 1-4
Goalies: LV Lalande 11-2-1 (27-29, 60:00); UT Lawson 5-4-0 (10-14, 20:00), Mole 3-1-2 (17-18, 40:00)
Referee: Jason Nissen Linesman: Tim Digby and Michel Voyer
A: 3,982

2008 Kelly Cup Playoff ticket packages are now available. Fans may purchase tickets on the Wranglers team website at www.lasvegaswranglers.com or the Orleans Arena website (www.orleansarena.com. Fans may also purchase tickets at any of the following locations in the valley: Galleria Mall, Orleans Casino showroom box office, Gold Coast Casino showroom box office and the Suncoast Casino showroom box office. Tickets may be ordered by phone at (702) 284-7777.

Fans interested in purchasing 2008-09 season ticket packages may contact the Wranglers front office at (702) 471-7825 (PUCK).

Call (702) 471-PUCK (7825) for more information or visit www.lasvegaswranglers.com.