Playoff worthiness relies on roster reinforcements

It’s like they are protecting the fort while awaiting fresh troops. Like they are trying to survive until all able bodies have arrived. Like they can see what is possible when game preparation isn’t split between scouting an opponent and reintroducing themselves to each other.

But if the way the Wranglers began the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs on Friday was any gauge, those already here are equipped to extend what was a roller coaster of a regular season.

They are good enough to stay alive for a while, which is all that matters today.

"It’s no lie we would need help down the stretch getting some key guys back," Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We’ve had so many players in the (American Hockey League), we have to keep reminding those guys who come back how we want to play. Guys need a crash course.

"But if we can get past a series or two, that would become less and less an issue. You hope once your entire team is here, you can go far in the playoffs."

It is not the immediate concern. Winning the second game of a best-of-7 divisional semifinal against Bakersfield is. The Wranglers took Game 1 by a 3-1 final and could distance themselves from the Condors even further tonight at the Orleans Arena.

You should know there are good seats available.

For you and your entire neighborhood.

Scattered doesn’t begin to describe the announced crowd of 3,102 that watched Las Vegas begin its latest pursuit of the franchise’s first championship. It’s an annual dilemma around here, not having nearly enough time to pitch postseason tickets.

What those who showed up saw was a Wranglers team intent on executing Gulutzan’s strategy on how best to eliminate a team defined by its aggressive nature.

The Condors scored 34 seconds into the game and are highly skilled offensively. If they were a basketball team, they would be the Phoenix Suns.

Here is how you beat them: The Wranglers are a better defensive team and killed all five of Bakersfield’s power-play chances. You can’t take countless risks trying to score against the Condors, and yet you can’t have the patience of a preschool teacher.

You have to out-chance them when possible, which the Wranglers did by converting the 2-on-1 opportunities they earned.

It’s an approach that could be enough for this series, but you won’t see Gulutzan frowning that forwards Mike Hamilton and J.D. Watt and defenseman Daniel Spang are all expected to return from AHL teams Monday.

At some point, Tyler Mosienko — "The heartbeat of the team here," Gulutzan said — might also arrive from Rockford. It’s part of the wacky ECHL playoffs, teams trying to outlive others until rosters are again complete.

"We’ll take this first one and see if we can get four," Gulutzan said. "Hopefully this will give us confidence moving forward. But this is going to be a long series."

It’s doubtful the Wranglers can make a serious push without getting some success from a season-long dismal power play, which failed to score on two opportunities Friday.

Gulutzan’s best reference to such struggles dates to 1992, when he played juniors for Saskatoon of the Western Hockey League. His team converted only 13 percent of the time on power plays during the regular season, but improved to 27 percent in the playoffs.

The thinking goes that when slates are wiped clean and those percentages for the playoffs return to zero for everyone, any mental block a team developed about failing to score with the numerical advantage over the previous five months disappears.

In Spang, the Wranglers will offer a defenseman with quarterback skills to direct the power play. They really don’t have such a threat now. He could make a significant difference in how far Las Vegas advances, more than any of those set to return.

"No matter who is here and who isn’t, it’s the playoffs," Wranglers forward Chris Neiszner said. "Tempo is up, whether it’s one notch or five. It’s going up each game. We had an up-and-down season, for sure. But we also went into Victoria when they were in first place (in the Western Division) and won four games. You have things like that in your mind, so you know you can do it.

"We’ve had slip-ups. We have to put those things in the past. Every team has highs and lows during a season. We have to put it all together now."

They are good enough to advance today with reinforcements in sight.

For now, nothing else matters.

Las Vegas Review-Journal sports columnist Ed Graney can be reached at 383-4618 or egraney@review-journal.com.