Game 5 pivotal to Wranglers’ championship quest

Take away a span of 6 minutes, 18 seconds in Game 3 of the Kelly Cup Finals and the Wranglers would be in position to win their first ECHL championship tonight.

But even as things stand -- tied 2-2 in the best-of-7 series -- the winner of Game 5 between Las Vegas and Cincinnati at the Orleans Arena will have the inside track to the ECHL title.

In their final home game of the season, the Wranglers simply want to repeat their performance from Friday's 2-0 victory, in which they started strong -- scoring only 41 seconds in, and outshooting the Cyclones 14-6 in the first period -- and never relented.

"We have to do the exact same thing," said Las Vegas goalie Kevin Lalande, who has stopped 101 of 108 shots and notched two shutouts in the series. "We've got to punch pucks in, bang some bodies, be strong in our own end and stay disciplined.

"All the little things we did (Friday), we've got to do (tonight)."

After rebounding from a 4-2 loss in Game 1 with a 1-0 win, the Wranglers squandered a 2-0 lead in Game 3, giving up three goals in 6:18 late in the second period en route to a 4-2 loss.

"We let down for 10 minutes and it cost us, but we're prepared now and we won't let down," defenseman Aaron Power said. "We played a full 60 minutes (in Game 4) and we didn't sway away from our game plan, even for one minute, the whole game.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for every guy here. I'm willing, and I know the rest of my teammates are willing, to do whatever it takes to win."

The Wranglers were bolstered by two of their biggest crowds in Games 3 and 4, attracting 6,713 fans Thursday and a sellout of 7,703 Friday.

"It was unbelievable playing in front of all those people," Lalande said. "This is going to be our last game here and we'd love to have the support again one more time before we head back to Cincinnati."

The series returns to Cincinnati for Game 6 Thursday and a possible Game 7 Saturday.

The Cyclones haven't had back-to-back losses in 20 playoff games. Coach Chuck Weber said his team must "play with a sense of urgency" tonight.

"We need to come out and make things happen instead of sitting back and watching things happen," he said. "It's up to the guys in our locker room to remember the feeling they (had Friday) so they don't repeat it."

• NOTES -- Game 4 marked the return of Las Vegas center Chris Ferraro, who had been sidelined with a concussion since March 1. Ferraro, 35, a former NHL player in his 14th professional season, said after the game, "I felt pretty good, surprisingly not too bad."

"I'm really thankful for the coaching staff staying patient with me in my recovery and for my teammates taking me back with open arms," he said. "I've played a lot of games throughout my career, but I was a little bit nervous and emotional. It was a fun night." ...

The Cyclones have outshot the Wranglers 109-101 in the series and outscored them 8-7, with six players scoring for Cincinnati and seven for Las Vegas. ... The Cyclones are 4-for-21 on the power play, the Wranglers 3-for-25.