Vegas in battle for playoff survival

CINCINNATI -- Through 20 ECHL playoff games this year, Las Vegas has not lost consecutive contests. The Wranglers will need to continue that streak today to keep their season and title hopes alive.

Facing a 3-2 series deficit and needing to win two straight road games at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati to capture its first ECHL crown, Las Vegas will square off against the Cyclones at 4:30 p.m. today in Game 6 of the Kelly Cup Finals.

"It's not over. We have two more games left," said Wranglers forward Adam Miller, who scored a goal late in Game 2 to lift Las Vegas to a 1-0 win at Cincinnati. "We have to go back to the blueprint -- stay out of the (penalty) box, stay disciplined and stay with what we've been doing (throughout) the playoffs."

After splitting the first two games of the series at Cincinnati -- which also hasn't dropped consecutive contests in the playoffs -- Las Vegas lost two of three games at home.

"The series is where it should be at. In two games, we were better, and in three games, they were better," Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. "Now it comes down to we've got to be better in Game 6.

"(Saturday's) Game 7 is two days after Game 6, so both teams will get to rest, and the pressure will start to mount. But we've got to be good in Game 6. We have to play for our lives."

Cincinnati goalie Cedrick Desjardins was sensational in Game 5, stopping all 27 shots he faced to notch his first shutout of the playoffs. Desjardins leads the league in the postseason with a 1.89 goals-against average and is 10-4 with a .937 save percentage.

Las Vegas goalie Kevin Lalande (13-5-1, 2.49 GAA, .909) has recorded two of his ECHL-best three postseason shutouts against the Cyclones, but he was pulled midway through Game 5 for the first time in this year's playoffs after allowing three goals on 13 shots.

"We didn't come out prepared. We didn't do all the little things we need to do to get a victory, and now we're paying the price because of it," said Lalande, who also leads the league in playoff minutes played (1,084). "We're down but we're not out. We just have to regroup and go back to our game plan (today). If we play hard for 60 minutes ... we'll come out on top."

Gulutzan wouldn't say who would start in net today, although he said "we are going to juggle our lineup." Swiss goalie Daniel Manzato stopped nine of 10 shots against Cincinnati in Game 5.

"We need to come out with some jump, get pucks in deep, establish the forecheck and play disciplined," Gulutzan said.

Cincinnati trailed Reading 3-2 in this year's American Conference semifinals before rallying to win Game 6 on the road and Game 7 at home.

"We came out playing desperate hockey against (Reading) in Game 6. We got the lead, and we were able to hold onto that game, so we know it's possible for a team to come back," Cyclones coach Chuck Weber said. "We've just got to make sure it doesn't happen to us. We know the mistakes Reading made. They came out without desperation. We've got to be the team that plays with desperation."

The Cyclones, the first team in ECHL history to reach 70 wins in a season, went 29-4-3 at home in the regular season and are 7-3 at home in the playoffs.

The Wranglers went 23-7-6 on the road in the regular season and are 7-3 on the road in the playoffs.

"We've proven we can play on the road. We've done it all year," Las Vegas defenseman Aaron Power said. "We've gotten wins in buildings that are tough to win in, so we're prepared. It's do or die for us."