The opponents sit at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to rink rewards – the two pro hockey teams have proved dynamite while the two college teams have endured the difficulties of the downtrodden.
Still, a big weekend of Alaska hockey is about to drop.
The marquee matchup lands at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, where the streaking Alaska Aces entertain the streaking Toledo Walleye in a three-game series starting Friday night that matches two of the best teams in the ECHL.
Meanwhile, up at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks starting Friday night, UAF entertains UAA in Games 1 and 2 of the four-game annual Governor's Cup – this is the 24th straight season that particular hockey hardware is at stake. The games also double as Western Collegiate Hockey Association showdowns.
Clash of contenders
The force is strong with both the Aces and Walleye as they prepare to clash on a weekend that includes "Star Wars Night'' on Saturday – Toledo's current eight-game winning streak is the longest this season on the 28-team circuit this season and Alaska's eight-game point streak (6-0-2) ranks as the league's second-best current streak.
Toledo (16-3-0) is also the league's top team in winning percentage (.842) while the Aces (12-4-3) check in third (.711).
If that's not enough, Toledo leads the league in goals per game (4.47) and Alaska surrenders the fewest goals in the league per game (2.47).
The Walleye enter with a dynamic power play that operates at 24.7-percent efficiency and the Aces counter with a remarkably stingy penalty-killing crew that dismisses 89.2 percent of opposing power plays.
And the Walleye are quintessential road warriors – they have won seven straight in hostile rinks, the best road streak in the league this season. But the Aces have been strong on home ice (6-2-1).
The matchup should serve as a good barometer for both clubs.
"It'll be interesting to see where we're at,'' said Aces coach Rob Murray.
Alaska regains the services of top-line center Stephen Perfetto, who is back from his first promotion to the American Hockey League after playing three games with the San Antonio Rampage.
The Aces hardly missed a beat with the guy who has averaged a league-leading 1.69 point per game. In the six Aces games with Perfetto absent, they went 4-0-2 to earn 10 of a possible 12 points.
"It could have gone sideways the other way, but we lost our top player and still were progressing, getting points in every game,'' Murray said.
Perfetto's return makes for some line juggling. Murray is toying with inserting center Danny Moynihan, who has scored at least a point in five straight games and seven of the last eight, on left wing with Perfetto and his usual right wing, sniper Peter Sivak.
Toledo arrives with nine players who have already scored five or more goals and 10 skaters who average .89 points per game or higher.
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Battle for bragging rights
Remember the last time the Seawolves won the Governor's Cup?
Yeah, it's been a long, dry stretch – the answer is 2009.
The only person affiliated with the UAA program today who was around back then is equipment manager Patrick Robertson.
The Nanooks have won the Cup seven straight times, although they vacated three of those titles (2010-12) as punishment for NCAA violations. Still, they lead, officially, 12-8, in the all-time Governor's Cup, which has been around since the 1993-94 season.
Neither UAA nor UAF has savored much success this season.
UAA (2-12-2, 1-7-2 WCHA) is last in the 10-team league. In the PairWise Rankings, which mimic the method used to determine teams for the NCAA tournament, the Seawolves sit 60th among 60 teams. UAF (4-10-2, 3-7-2 WCHA) sits eighth in the league and 50th in the PairWise.
The Seawolves can use this weekend to perhaps escape the basement and also give themselves a dose of encouragement heading into their holiday break. Also, the Nanooks are just 1-7-0 on home ice.
UAF already owns a win over UAA this season with a 4-1 victory in October that was a nonconference, non-Cup game. That game snapped a string of 11 consecutive games between the rivals, dating back to 2014, that were either decided by one goal or less – UAF owned a 6-5-1 edge in those 11 games.
UAA is saddled with a seven-game winless streak (0-6-1) against UAF.
Weekend notes
The Aces' Moynihan owns a five-game point streak and has furnished 3-3—6 totals in that span.
Toledo's Tylor and Tyson Spink are really getting carried away with this whole identical-twin thing – they both own 8-13—21 totals and a plus-9 rating in 19 games.
Toledo's A.J. Jenks owns an eight-game point streak with 5-7—12 totals in that span. Tylor Spink is 2-6—8 in his five-game point streak and Tyson is 4-3—7 in his five-game point streak. And Shane Berschbach has delivered nine assists in the last four games and 1-9—10 totals in his five-game point streak.
So, about that last time UAA won the Governor's Cup – surely Bryce Christianson of Anchorage remembers it well. He ought to – he was unbeatable that weekend.
Christianson stopped 31 shots in UAA's 1-0 Game 1 victory in Fairbanks, then turned around and stopped 15 shots in a 3-0 UAA win in Anchorage. The masked man in the Nanooks net was a dude named Chad Johnson, who these days draws a paycheck from the Calgary Flames.
Toledo Walleye
16-3-0
at
Alaska Aces
12-4-3
Sullivan Arena
Friday and Saturday, 7:15 p.m.; Sunday, 3:05 p.m.
Radio: Live AM-750 and FM-103.7 KFQD
UAA
2-12-2, 1-7-2 WCHA
at
UAF
4-10-2, 3-7-2 WCHA
Carlson Center, Fairbanks
Friday and Saturday, 7:07 p.m.
TV: GCI Channel 1, tape-delayed, 10 p.m. Friday and 11 p.m. Saturday