Wranglers start fast, fizzle in loss

Living up to their advance billing as a squad built on speed, the Wranglers started fast Friday night in their season opener at the Orleans Arena.

But after taking early leads of 2-0 and 3-1, Las Vegas faltered down the stretch and, like last season, was hampered by poor special teams play en route to a 5-3 loss to the Utah Grizzlies in front of an announced crowd of 6,383.

Ryan Kinasewich had a hat trick and an assist for Utah, which scored three power-play goals and finished with four unanswered goals to spoil the head coaching debut of Ryan Mougenel.

Las Vegas, which finished last season near the bottom of the ECHL on the power play, went 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

"The biggest thing was the (penalty kill)," center Chris Neiszner said. "We gave up too many power-play goals."

Las Vegas exploded for two goals in 30 seconds to take a 2-0 lead at 7:21 of the first period, as Matt Watkins ripped a power-play goal into a wide-open net and Ned Lukacevic jammed home his own rebound for an unassisted score.

Utah, which went 3-for-7 on the power play, cut its deficit to 2-1 later in the first when Shea Guthrie scored during a two-man advantage.

The Wranglers regained their two-goal lead early in the second period when Kyle Hagel scored from the slot to make it 3-1, but the Grizzlies answered with two goals 87 seconds apart to tie it 3-all.

Both goals were scored at close range off Las Vegas netminder Michael Ouzas, who stopped 24 of 29 shots.

Kinasewich took a pass in stride as he was cutting across the crease and beat Ouzas with a soft backhander to make it 3-2 at 8:41 of the period.

Tom May then scored an unassisted goal, powering between two Wranglers defensemen and slipping the puck under the left pad of Ouzas, to tie it at 10:08.

"It was not a strong game from Michael," Mougenel said. "There were obviously a couple goals he wanted back."

Kinasewich added two nearly identical power-play goals in the third period, when he beat Ouzas with wrist shots from the right circle at 2:03 and again at 11:07.

The Wranglers struggled on offense after their fast start and were outshot 22-8 in the final two periods.

"I thought at times we played way too much on the outside and ... you've got to get to the tough areas to score," Mougenel said. "When guys don't get to those areas, it's tough to score from the perimeter."

Las Vegas will have to bounce back without Neiszner, who was called up to the American Hockey League's Texas Stars, coached by former Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan.

"This team here is going to be an awesome team," Neiszner said. "Things will come together here."

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