Wranglers don’t sweat small stuff, lose
Whoever coined the phrase "don't sweat the small stuff" never played for the Wranglers, because paying attention to detail has been a big factor in their success this season.
When Las Vegas failed to do so late in its ECHL showdown with Idaho on Friday night at the Orleans Arena, it resulted in a disheartening defeat.
With 2:12 left, Steelheads left wing Lance Galbraith stole the puck from Wranglers defenseman Aaron Power deep in the Las Vegas end, skated to the high slot and rifled a slap shot into the back of the net to lift Idaho to a 3-2 victory before 6,028 stunned fans.
"That was a bad play at the end," Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. "When you're playing a good team, details matter. We weren't really that attentive to major details tonight, and it cost us the hockey game. We had it under control and gave it away."
The Steelheads (13-10-7) scored three consecutive goals to win their second road game of the year, and both victories took place in Las Vegas.
The Wranglers (21-4-4) suffered their second loss in regulation in three games on the heels of a 20-game unbeaten run in regulation.
"It's just a prime example of not putting a full 60 minutes together," said team captain Peter Ferraro, who scored to give Las Vegas a 2-0 lead 6:39 into the second period. "We put 50, 55 minutes together, but that's not good enough.
"They have a hard-working, agitating team, and we've got to pay attention to details, especially in the last 10 minutes of the game."
Idaho pulled within 2-1 midway through the second period when Jeremy Scherlinck threw a puck on net from the left boards that sailed through traffic and found its way past Wranglers goalie Daniel Manzato, who had 26 saves.
Matt Craig tied it 2-2 at the 7:35 mark of the third period on a bang-bang play in front of the net. Taggart Desmet fired a quick cross-crease pass to Craig, who buried it.
Las Vegas had plenty of chances to pull away from Idaho, but Steelheads goalie Steve Silverthorn came up big on several plays, and the Wranglers went 0-for-9 on the power play, including a short two-man advantage early in the game.
"We needed to convert," Gulutzan said.
Silverthorn, who stopped 29 shots, stoned Aki Seitsonen on a 2-on-1 rush with Tyler Mosienko early in the third period and, moments later, cut off Kelly Czuy in front of the net on a breakaway.
The Wranglers appeared to take a 3-0 lead midway through the second period when Mike Madill fired a shot from the slot that took an odd hop and sailed into the net. Officials waved off the goal, though, ruling a Las Vegas player used a high stick to deflect the puck.
Gulutzan and Ferraro said the puck didn't hit anything.
"It was a goal. It didn't hit anybody, but unfortunately the referee and linesman didn't see it that way," Ferraro said. "I saw it, and then I saw it (again) on the JumboTron."
The game was the eighth and final meeting of the regular season between the teams. Las Vegas finished 4-2-2 against Idaho, which eliminated the Wranglers from the playoffs last season en route to the league title.
Las Vegas Wranglers
IDAHO -- 3
LAS VEGAS -- 2
KEY: The Steelheads scored three consecutive goals, and the Wranglers went 0-for-9 on the power play.
NEXT: Wranglers at Bakersfield, 6 p.m. Sunday
ECHL PLAYER ARRESTED AFTER IN-FLIGHT FIGHT
DALLAS -- An ECHL hockey player was arrested after allegedly slapping a flight attendant, head-butting a passenger and exposing himself on an American Airlines flight from Toronto to Dallas.
FBI agents arrested David Cornacchia on Thursday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on a federal charge of interfering with a flight crew.
The incident was first reported Friday by Dallas TV station KTVT.
Cornacchia plays for the Florida Everblades, based in Fort Myers, Fla.
According to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Dallas, Cornacchia became angry with a flight attendant after he was refused a third alcoholic drink. Cornacchia slapped the male flight attendant, a detail confirmed by American Airlines.
Cornacchia began cursing at other passengers and exposed himself to them, according to the affidavit. Flight attendants and an assisting passenger then secured Cornacchia's hands behind his back with plastic restraints and belted him into a seat. Cornacchia head-butted the passenger who was helping to restrain him.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
