Ice Dogs Lose to Phoenix in Shootout, 5-4

The Ice Dogs were beaten by the Phoenix Roadrunners, 5-4, in a sudden-death shootout Sunday in an International Hockey League game in front of 3,584 at the Sports Arena.

Oleg Shargorodsky scored for Phoenix in the sudden-death shootout, and the Ice Dogs’ Viktor Gordiouk had his attempt blocked.

The loss makes Los Angeles 1-4-3 in its last eight games and runs its winless streak to four.

Looking for help, Ice Dog Coach John Van Boxmeer last week tried to acquire Denis Tsygurov, who was on Phoenix’s suspended list, but Tsygurov didn’t show for practice, reportedly because he has to clear up a contract dispute with the Kings (the Roadrunners’ NHL affiliate) before he can enter a contract with the Ice Dogs.

And what of the “future considerations” that star left wing Hubie McDonough was traded for in late October?

“That turned out to be a figure of speech,” Van Boxmeer said. “I was very interested in that myself.”

With Jozef Cierny out for a month because of an ankle sprain, Jim Nesich out for two more weeks and Mark Krys day-to-day because of back spasms, the Ice Dogs were short of people Sunday.

So Kelly Hultgren of the Louisiana IceGaters of the Eastern Hockey League and Alan Leggett of the San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League showed up without being called. They only thought they’d been called up.

It turned out that Van Boxmeer needed them. There were 99 penalty minutes, so everyone played, including Hultgren and Leggett.