Wranglers pray for lucky 7

Each team got here by virtue of a Game 7 victory, so it's fitting the Pacific Division finals will be decided by a seventh game between the Wranglers and the Stockton Thunder.

Stockton beat Las Vegas 3-1 in Game 6 on Tuesday at the Orleans Arena to avoid elimination and set up a winner-take-all Game 7 here at 7:30 tonight.

The Thunder, who scored goals in the final 30 seconds of all three periods Tuesday, topped the Ontario Reign 5-4 on the road in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

The Wranglers, who fell to 5-1 at home against Stockton this season and 5-2 at home in the playoffs, beat the Bakersfield Condors 5-1 at home in Game 7 of their first-round series.

Las Vegas is 2-0 all time in Game 7s, also beating Idaho 6-2 in 2006.

"We've been in the pressure cooker before, and we know how to compete under certain circumstances," said Wranglers goalie Glenn Fisher (5-2), who stopped 34 of 36 shots. "Unfortunately we didn't bring it tonight, but we'll definitely bring it (today).

"That's what it comes down to -- outworking them and wanting it more -- that's all playoff hockey is."

Stockton outshot Las Vegas 37-23 and outplayed the Wranglers from the outset.

"Our first period was pathetic. It was the worst first period we've played in the playoffs to date," Las Vegas coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We weren't hungry at all."

While the Wranglers came out flat, the Thunder came out strong, keeping the pressure on Fisher throughout the first period until finally breaking through.

Craig Valette scored a wraparound goal that beat Fisher on his stick side to give Stockton a 1-0 lead with 14 seconds left in the first.

The Wranglers came alive in the second period and wasted little time tying the game as Kelly Czuy buried a rebound on the power play at the 2:24 mark to make it 1-1.

It stayed that way until Stockton defenseman Kenny MacAulay fired a shot from the point that sailed through traffic and found the back of the net to give the Thunder a 2-1 lead with 26 seconds left in the second.

Fisher said he was screened on the play.

The Wranglers failed to get a shot off on a power play in the third and were outshot 13-6 in the period.

Cory Urquhart added an empty-net goal with 17 seconds remaining.

"We got outworked tonight," Fisher said. "They were playing for their life tonight, and we're going to do the same (tonight)."

• NOTE -- The ECHL fined Stockton left wing Garet Hunt an undisclosed amount for his unsportsmanlike conduct during Monday's Game 5 at the Orleans Arena. During a second-period scrum in front of the Las Vegas net, Hunt punched Wranglers defenseman Dan Spang in the jaw from behind and was penalized for roughing.

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