Wranglers brace for goalie’s departure

Already ensured home-ice advantage throughout the first three rounds of the ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs, the Wranglers suffered an essentially meaningless 6-3 loss to Bakersfield on Friday at the Orleans Arena.

But Las Vegas (46-13-12, 104 points), which will wrap up its league-record third straight 100-point regular season tonight at home against Phoenix, will suffer a meaningful loss Sunday when goaltender Daniel Manzato leaves the team to play for Switzerland in the world championships in Canada.

Manzato, who went 24-5-6 with a 2.37 goals-against average this season for the Wranglers, is expected to miss up to six weeks, a big chunk of the playoffs.

"It's a great opportunity for him, and you never want to step in front of a player's career, but it's certainly a big blow for us with Danny leaving," Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said.

Kevin Lalande, who is 17-5-4 and second in the league with a 2.05 GAA, will start for Las Vegas in the playoffs, and rookie Tyler Sims will back him up.

Sims, who recently wrapped up a four-year stint at Providence College, where he went 44-56-10 with a 2.57 GAA, was signed by the Wranglers on Thursday and took the loss Friday, when he stopped 29 of 34 shots by the Condors (26-37-9), who scored three power-play goals and clinched the seventh playoff spot from the National Conference.

"I thought he was good. He kept us in the hockey game," Gulutzan said. "Not many of the goals were his fault."

Sims, who went 0-1-1 and stopped 39 of 43 shots for Reading of the American Hockey League before joining Las Vegas, was disappointed with his performance Friday, but he'll start again tonight and is confident he can succeed here.

"Once I get into it a little more, I'll feel more comfortable," he said. "I know I can play at this level."

Las Vegas played without forwards Chris Ferraro (concussion) and Nathan Barrett (pulled groin), as well as nine other players who are in the AHL, but the team did activate left wing Shawn Limpright and defenseman Sean Owens from the disabled list Friday. Both players saw action, and Limpright scored a goal.

Phoenix trails Stockton by a point for the final playoff spot from the National Conference and can clinch it with a win tonight and a regulation loss by the Thunder. Stockton can clinch the eighth seed in the playoffs with a point tonight. The eighth-seeded team will face the Wranglers in the first round of the playoffs.

Regardless of its first-round playoff opponent, Las Vegas will host Games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, Games 6 and 7, with the opener scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday.

• NOTES -- Wranglers forward Ryan Donally was recalled to Quad City (AHL), and defenseman Jason Dest was loaned to Peoria (AHL).