RoadRunners edge short-handed Wranglers

With eight players in the American Hockey League and two others out with injuries, the Wranglers are short-handed -- and it showed in a 2-1 loss to Phoenix on Monday at the Orleans Arena.

Las Vegas, which saw its season-high nine-game point streak end Sunday in a 4-1 home loss to Utah, was outshot 39 to 23 for the second straight game Monday and also allowed the winning goal in the third period for the second consecutive contest.

Merit Waldrop scored a tiebreaking, power-play goal midway through the third period to give the RoadRunners a 2-1 lead, and Phoenix -- which went 1-for-5 on the man advantage in the third period alone -- held on for the victory.

"The last eight minutes, we couldn't mount any sort of attack because we kept taking penalties," Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said.

It was the third game in three days, fifth in seven and ninth in 13 for the Wranglers (26-20-5), who start a 10-game road trip Wednesday in Idaho.

"We've got two defensemen (Sean Owens and Mike Madill) playing up front, and we've been playing lots of hockey," Gulutzan said. "We haven't been able to mount as much offense as we want to, and that's why we've been getting outshot."

Las Vegas grabbed a 1-0 lead 6:09 into the second period when Tyler Mosienko ripped a rebound into the back of the net from the right circle on the power play.

Just a couple of seconds after leaving the penalty box, Phoenix defenseman Jim Jorgensen, a former Wrangler, scored on a shot from the left circle to tie it 1-1 midway through the second.

Las Vegas goalie Glenn Fisher (6-1-1) stopped 37 of 39 shots for the Wranglers, who went 1-for-6 on the power play.

Kyle Jones (3-9-1) turned away 22 of 23 shots for Phoenix (22-23-3), which finished 1-for-8 on the power play.

Las Vegas squandered an early two-man advantage and several other strong scoring bids.

"The game was there for us (Sunday) and (Monday), but we just didn't quite get there. We were a step behind," said Owens, who assisted on Mosienko's goal. "We might've let up a little bit."

• NOTES -- Wranglers forwards Mick Lawrence and Peter Ferraro are day to day with neck injuries and aren't expected to be out long. ... Las Vegas forwards Adam Miller and Justin Taylor were recently loaned to the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals and Chicago Wolves, respectively, joining goalies John DeCaro (Portland) and Kevin Lalande (Quad City), forwards J.D. Watt (Quad City), Matt Beaudoin (Houston) and Mike Hamilton (Chicago) and defenseman Jeff May (San Antonio) in the AHL.

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