Ice Dogs Powerless in 5-1 Loss to Detroit

Throughout the season, the Long Beach Ice Dogs were a dominant team at home, despite playing in front of crowds that barely averaged more than 3,500 per game at Long Beach Arena.

On Monday night, the Ice Dogs drew their best crowd of the season, 8,475, for the third game of their International Hockey League Turner Cup series against the Detroit Vipers.

Their fans saw one of the Ice Dogs’ worst games of the season, and Detroit won a penalty-filled contest, 5-1, to end Long Beach’s 17-home game winning streak.

After an eight-day layoff caused by a Salvation Army convention at Long Beach Arena, the Ice Dogs got off to a bad start even before the opening faceoff Monday when the game was delayed more than 90 minutes because of holes in the ice surface left from the convention.

Once the game began, things did not get any better for Long Beach.

Detroit took advantage of several Ice Dog penalties to score three power-play goals and take a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Long Beach drew 55 minutes in 21 penalties.

Goaltender Rich Parent made 26 saves, Peter Ciavaglia scored twice and Steve Walker, Darren Banks and Phil Von Stefenelli added goals for the Vipers, who kept Long Beach scoreless in 11 power play opportunities.

Detroit had 41 minutes in 18 penalties.

The Ice Dogs had the league’s best power play during the regular season with 106 goals in 499 opportunities.

Valeri Karpov scored the only goal for the Ice Dogs, who lost for only the second time in their last 39 home games and dropped to 12-3 in the playoffs.

Goaltender Tom Draper stopped 34 of 39 shots on goal.

The next two games also will be played at Long Beach, with Game 4 on Wednesday and Game 5 Friday.