Wranglers finally cash in with overtime victory

After working overtime for the sixth time in nine games, the Wranglers were finally rewarded with a win.

Ryan Donally took a centering pass from Adam Cracknell on a 2-on-1 rush and scored with 1:09 left in overtime to lift Las Vegas to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Phoenix on Saturday in front of 6,546 fans at the Orleans Arena.

The Wranglers (38-11-12), who suffered a 2-1 shootout loss to Bakersfield on Friday, had dropped their last five decisions in overtime and won five of their previous 17 games decided in OT or a shootout.

Las Vegas, which outshot Phoenix 43-21 but went 0-for-4 on the power play, tied the game at 2 on Peter Ferraro's goal with 32 seconds remaining in regulation.

While the Wranglers had a 6-on-5 advantage after pulling goalie Daniel Manzato, Ferraro won a battle for the puck in front of the net and blasted it home from the left circle.

It was the fifth goal in three games for Ferraro, who had his first hat trick of the season in a 5-1 win over Stockton on Tuesday and has a team-high 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists).

The RoadRunners (20-33-8) took a 2-1 lead with 5:42 left in the second period when Peder Skinner scored from the slot.

Phoenix scored on its first shot of the game when Ryan Walsh converted a cross-crease pass by Jeff Smith at the 1:45 mark. Las Vegas tied it midway through the second when Phoenix goalie Taylor Dakers ventured into the middle of the left circle to clear a puck and it landed on the stick of Wranglers right wing Adam Cracknell.

Cracknell made him pay, promptly firing a slap shot into the back of the net for an unassisted goal, his first tally in three weeks.

Dakers, recently assigned to Phoenix by Worcester of the American Hockey League, made 40 saves.

The Wranglers improved to 8-0-1 against the RoadRunners this season and 22-2-3 all time. Las Vegas, which ran its home record to 18-4-6, has six games remaining on its nine-game homestand and returns to action on Friday against Utah.

• NOTES -- Five Wranglers remain in the AHL: defensemen Gerry Burke and Gord Baldwin with Quad City, center Curtis Fraser with San Antonio, defenseman Tyson Strachan with Peoria and defenseman Jason Jozsa with Grand Rapids. ... Former Wrangler Sean O'Connor leads Phoenix with 24 goals and has 38 points in 52 games. ... Las Vegas is looking to become the first team in ECHL history to have three straight 100-point seasons. The Wranglers have 88 points with 11 games left.

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