Wranglers building solidarity

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A group of men wearing blindfolds and making farm animal noises joined forces in the bowels of the Orleans Arena on Thursday.

No, it wasn’t an initiation into a college fraternity, it was a team-building exercise conducted by the Wranglers (4-1), who will play the Utah Grizzlies (2-4) at 7:05 p.m. tonight and Saturday at the Orleans Arena.

In the "meow" game, players were divided into cows, cats, dogs and sheep and then had to moo, meow, bark or baa to find each other and form a group of the same animal.

The groups then competed in a communication game in which they had to guide a blindfolded teammate through a maze of pucks.

Las Vegas coach Glen Gulutzan said the games are a vital part in building team chemistry.

"They’re very important. Sometimes they’re as important as practicing," he said. "I like to throw stuff like that in throughout the year, and team meals, to try to breed camaraderie a little bit.

"It lets you laugh at yourself and at a few other guys."

The Wranglers might need to rely on each other a little more after tonight’s game. Goaltender John Curry is scheduled to leave Las Vegas to play for the U.S. national team in the Deutschland Cup in Hanover, Germany — leaving the team with a hole in net.

Curry, a rookie from Boston University who was assigned to the Wranglers from the Pittsburgh Penguins, is 4-1 with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

The tournament in Germany is scheduled for Nov. 8 to 11, and when it’s over, Gulutzan said he isn’t sure if Curry will return to the Wranglers or join Pittsburgh’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pa.).

"He’s a good goaltender and we want him back, but it will be up to Pittsburgh like any other NHL contract," Gulutzan said. "I would guess he would be back. They sent him here to play some games, and I assume they would want to keep playing their young guys."

Curry is expected to start tonight’s game, with emergency backup Tim Boron slated to start Saturday.

The untested Boron, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who attended St. Cloud State in Minnesota, helped lead the Colorado Eagles to the Central Hockey League championship last season. He went 13-4 with a 2.91 GAA and a .909 save percentage.

Boron, 24, played well for Bakersfield in the preseason against the Wranglers and — after being the odd man out with the Condors — was literally picked up on the side of the road by Las Vegas as it traveled to Fresno for its ECHL season opener.

"He’s a capable guy, and he’ll get an opportunity with us to show what he’s got," Gulutzan said. "We watched him in Bakersfield in the preseason and he was solid. He’s a quick, smart goalie. He reads plays well and is a very competitive guy."

Boron, who went 15-27-5 with a three-plus GAA in college, said last season’s experience gave him more confidence.

"I feel I can do the same thing at this level," he said. "I’m going to go in there with an open mind and just relax and try to come out with a win. I’ve been staying after practice to work on things with the boys, to try to stay mentally sharp.

"I’ve been approaching practice like I would a game."

• NOTES — Forward Kelly Czuy broke his leg in Victoria last week and is expected to be out for a month. … Left wing Shawn Limpright is out with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss another seven to 10 days. … Center Curtis Fraser is expected to play today or Saturday. The rookie broke his hand in training camp with the Calgary Flames but has been cleared to play.

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