Lampe gets off to speedy start in first season with Wranglers

The winner of the fastest skater competition at last season's ECHL All-Star Game, Eric Lampe has exploded out of the gate this year for the Wranglers.

The 25-year-old Lampe scored four goals in his first four games for Las Vegas, netting two in Saturday's 3-2 overtime victory against Bakersfield at the Orleans Arena.

After flashing his NHL-caliber speed with a shorthanded breakaway goal to open the scoring, Lampe tallied an unassisted power-play goal off a faceoff with 42 seconds left in overtime.

Wranglers coach Ryan Mougenel marveled at the left wing's speed on the shorthanded score.

"He didn't take a stride after the blue line. I watched it 10 times. He was that far ahead," he said. "His first three steps are as good as anybody I've seen, and that's the difference. He creates that gap with his first three.

"He's got an extra gear which creates a lot of offensive chances for him."

Lampe, who is tied for the league league in goals, went scoreless Tuesday as Las Vegas (2-2-1) lost 3-0 at home to Utah (4-1-0).

A second-year pro, Lampe split time last season with the ECHL's Elmira (N.Y.) Jackals and Syracuse of the American Hockey League. He had 17 goals and 34 points in 38 games for Elmira, and two goals and four points in 24 games for the Crunch.

Lampe impressed Mougenel at the All-Star Game, where he recorded the fastest lap around the rink and added a goal and two assists in the game.

"He's got one of the purest strides I've seen in a long time. He skates like an NHL (player), for sure," Mougenel said. "When Lampe skates, you can see his jersey kind of like flopping in the wind. That's a telltale sign he's going at a pretty good clip."

Lampe was born and raised in Madison, Wis., where he grew up playing alongside NHL players Ryan Suter and Phil Kessel, and was coached by Bob Suter, a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic "Miracle on Ice" team.

Lampe's father played high school hockey with Bob Suter, who remains a close family friend.

"I just looked at him as another person," Lampe said. "He knows a lot about the game and helped me out growing up as a player."

Likewise, Lampe was impressed with Mougenel's coaching style when he played at the Orleans Arena with Elmira and scored two spectacular goals.

"I liked how he was out working with the players, trying to make them better," said Lampe, who signed with the Wranglers this summer. "I thought it was a good fit for me."

Lampe is a Wisconsin football fan, but played college hockey at Quinnipiac in Hamden, Conn., where he compiled 102 points in 150 games.

"The thing I like about Eric is he competes and he wants the puck all the time. He's hungry," Mougenel said. "He definitely deserves a shot at the next level, and he's working to get that.

"(AHL) teams need his speed on the penalty kill."

Lampe was pleased with his performance in limited action in the AHL last season and is intent on returning there.

"I thought I could handle my own up there, and I thought that's where I belong," he said. "I just need to work harder and play my game. I'm using my speed, and staying positive is a big thing. I'm just trying to get better every day."

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