Disallowed goal ignites Wranglers

The goal the Wranglers didn't score might have been the one that mattered most against Idaho in Game 1 of the ECHL Western Conference semifinals Monday at Orleans Arena.

A few minutes after replays clearly showed Josh Lunden should have been awarded a goal midway through the second period, Scott Campbell and Mike Madill scored 92 seconds apart to give Las Vegas a 2-1 lead.

Campbell added an empty-netter in the final minute as the Wranglers held on for a 3-1 victory over the Steelheads to open the best-of-7 series.

Game 2 is at 7:05 p.m. today at the Orleans.

"The guys responded really well after the nongoal," Las Vegas coach Ryan Mougenel said. "Thank God it wasn't the difference."

Trailing 1-0 after the first period, the Wranglers dominated the rest of the way, outshooting Idaho 37-12 and 46-18 overall.

Goalie Jerry Kuhn kept the Steelheads in it, stopping 43 shots, including one with a teammate's stick after his was snapped in half during an Idaho power play early in the second.

Moments later, Lunden narrowly missed scoring twice in 30 seconds.

First, he launched a shot that bounced off the post and crossbar and out. He then fired a puck that ripped into the back of the net and quickly caromed out. But play wasn't stopped.

Replays on the arena's big screen showed conclusively it was a goal, but the ECHL doesn't use instant replay.

"I wasn't happy with how it was handled. (The officials) didn't even confer about it," Mougenel said. "It was a goal."

The no-call seemed to inspire the Wranglers, who got off to a slow start in their first game in 10 days.

"Those (nongoals) are tough to swallow. They're so close, and there's no real replay," Campbell said. "It does light a bit of a fire. We kept the pedal down, kept pressing, and we were able to get one and the second one pretty quickly after."

Down a man after Eric Lampe was penalized for goaltender interference for flattening Kuhn following a hard drive to the net, Campbell scored on a shorthanded breakaway to tie it 1-1 at 11:09.

Pete MacArthur, who returned to the team before the game from Lake Erie of the American Hockey League, assisted on the play.

"Mac was able to find me, and I was fortunate to put one past Kuhn," Campbell said. "He plays us tough every game. Goals are tough to come by."

Madill got the go-ahead goal at 12:41, when he picked up a loose puck next to the net and jammed it inside the post.

Judd Blackwater and Adam Miller assisted.

"I don't even know how I ended up there. The puck was bouncing, and I thought I'd pull it and shoot it," Madill said. "I was lucky. I didn't even see it go in."

Mitch O'Keefe stopped 17 of 18 shots for the Wranglers, only allowing a breakaway goal to Michael Neal at 5:38 of the first.

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