Wranglers, Aces in long-distance tug of war

And down the stretch they come. Again.

For the second time in two seasons, the Wranglers and Alaska Aces enter the final weekend locked in a battle for the Brabham Cup, which goes to the ECHL team with the best regular-season record.

Last year the eventual league champion Aces were able to maintain their one-point lead over the Wranglers in the final week. This year, thanks to an 11-game winning streak, Las Vegas has a one-point lead with two games remaining for both clubs.

The Wranglers (44-12-14, 102 points), who clinched their first Pacific Division title Wednesday by winning at Long Beach, host the Stockton Thunder (38-22-10) at 7:05 p.m. today and Saturday at the Orleans Arena.

Las Vegas, which has won seven straight at home, can clinch the top seed and home-ice advantage in the playoffs with two wins over Stockton, or a win and a loss by Alaska (47-16-7, 101). The Aces host last-place Utah (22-40-8) today and Saturday.

“In our mind, we have to win out, but we’ve known that the last six games, so nothing’s really changed for us,” Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said. “We’ve accomplished one thing we wanted to do — win our division — and anything else is icing on the cake. Obviously if we can win it all, we’d like to.”

The Thunder also is riding an 11-game win streak as it tries to overtake Idaho for fourth place in the National Conference, which would give Stockton home-ice advantage in the first playoff round.

“They’re on a real roll,” Gulutzan said. “It’s going to be a heck of a series. Both teams have a lot to play for.”

The Wranglers, 3-1-0 against Stockton, had a 12-game winning streak last season to tie the third longest in league history. The ECHL record is 14, accomplished by two teams.

If Las Vegas wins out, it would take a 13-game run into the playoffs.

“Anytime you go as long as we have, it’s pretty impressive,” said goalie Mike McKenna, named to the All-ECHL second team Thursday. “We don’t want it to come to an end. If we go into the playoffs with 13 wins in a row, hopefully we can just keep it going.”

McKenna said he was disappointed to be bypassed for the first team in favor of Dayton’s Adam Berkhoel.

McKenna is 25-4-7, leads the league with a 2.27 goals-against average and .926 save percentage and is tied for second with five shutouts. He also played in his second straight ECHL All-Star Game and started in net for the National Conference.

Berkhoel, the All-Star game Most Valuable Player, is 22-16-3 with a 2.39 GAA and .910 save percentage.

“I finished runner-up to Adam Berkhoel twice this year. He also got the nod for All-Star player of the game. It’s kind of frustrating. I thought I had a good game there and I thought I had a good season,” said McKenna, 44-6-8 lifetime for Las Vegas with a 2.22 GAA.

• NOTE — The Wranglers will wear pink jerseys tonight as part of a “Pink in the Rink” fundraiser to benefit the Mary Kay Ash charitable foundation and charities for breast cancer awareness.