News Photo by James Andersen Alpena’s Blaise Keller scores on Escanaba goaltender Trevor Denome during the first period of a hockey game on Saturday at Northern Lights Arena.

Kyle Krutina was in the right spot at the right time for the Escanaba hockey team on Saturday.

Krutina buried a rebound with his team shorthanded early in the third period to give the Eskymos enough cushion to skate to a 4-3 win over Alpena at Northern Lights Arena on the second day of Alpena’s Holiday Showcase.

After Grant LaMarche was whistled for interference just 1:04 into the final frame, Krutina and Ethan Silverstone caught Alpena’s defense out of position and skated in 2-on-0 toward the Alpena goal. Alpena goaltender Jimmy Bolanowski stopped Silverstone’s shot, but Krutina was there to bury the rebound, giving the Eskymos the lead for good.

“I thought we played better; two evenly matched teams and I thought obviously they just capitalized more often than we did,” Alpena coach Chris Limback said.

A day after they faded fast in the third period during a 7-1 loss to Howell, Alpena (1-8-2) looked better on Saturday, but again was hurt by third period struggles.

The Wildcats had several scoring chances in the final stanza, but couldn’t convert. Alpena was also hurt by penalties and spent the last 5:21 of the game on the penalty kill.

Blaise Keller, Matt Thompson and Ben Nowak scored for Alpena, while Sawyer LaMarch, Karson Krutina and Silverstone also lit the lamp for Escanaba.

Eskymos goaltender Trevor Denome made 18 saves for Escanaba while Bolanowski made 31 stops for the Wildcats.

Alpena rallied from one-goal deficits twice and scored twice on special teams, but Escanaba capitalized on its chances more so than the Wildcats could.

“Escanaba’s the same as us: a good first line and then really young,” Limback said. “Today was just two teams that were evenly matched around the horn. We took more penalties than we did and that was the (difference).”

Thompson gave Alpena a 2-1 lead during a second period where both sides combined for four goals. Thompson scored on the power-play with assists from Keller and Mitch Agius with 9:57 left in the frame, but Escanaba answered just 43 seconds later with a goal from Silverstone.

LaMarch banged in a rebound on the power-play with 4:46 left in the period to give the Eskymos a 3-2 lead, but Alpena answered with 1:12 remaining when Nowak scored on a rebound with assists from Agius and Eli Gooselin.

Alpena’s first goal came shorthanded on a great individual effort from Keller in the first period.

Keller skated with the puck out of the defensive zone, blocked a clearing attempt by an Escanaba defender and got a 1-on-1 chance against Denome, which he buried to tie the game 1-1 with 8:45 left.

Escanaba took a 1-0 lead with 11:25 left when Karson Krutina buried a rebound chance.

For the second straight day, Bolanowski played well for Alpena, making several big stops. He made a solid glove save early in the first period and stopped a backhand chance later in the frame. In the final two periods, he made many saves despite constant pressure with Alpena on the penalty kill.

But Denome was a bit better, stoning Alpena on several chances early in the third period, including a stellar glove save from the left circle with about 10 minutes to play.

Alpena returns to the ice on Friday against Plymouth in Sault Ste. Marie during the Soo Lions tournament.