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Home hasn’t always been friendly to the Ice Dogs this year, but the crowd made sure it was Saturday.

And the Ice Dogs responded.

Behind a packed Big Dipper Ice Arena, boasting 2,501 Ice Dogs faithful for Military Appreciation Week, the Ice Dogs blitzed the Alaska Avalanche right from the start, claiming an 8-1 North American Hockey League win.

“I don’t think I’ve seen that many people in the Dipper since the Gold Kings played Russia way back when,” Ice Dogs coach and general manager Rob Proffitt said, referring to a game when the Gold Kings tied the Russian National Team in the 1980s.

“Our guys just fed off that energy right from the start,” he added. “It was a pretty hopping place to be. I don’t know if you could find a better atmosphere for a hockey game anywhere. It was just electric.”

The Ice Dogs controlled the tempo right from the start, outshooting the Avalanche 25-5 in the opening period and Fairbanks had all the goals they’d need by the end of the first, holding a 4-0 lead.

Fairbanks went on to outshoot Alaska by a 62-26 margin.

The win moved Fairbanks (36-15-3) within three points of second-place Wichita Falls (38-15-2) in the North American Hockey League’s South Division. Topeka, which finished off a three-game sweep of Wichita Saturday with a 9-0 win, stands in first play, four points behind the RoadRunners with four games left to play.

Andrew McCabe scored two goals for Fairbanks — including the first of the night — and eight different Ice Dogs recorded at least two points.

McCabe, 5:57 into the game, put Fairbanks on the board off assists from Brock Shelgren and Peter Kavaya, and Aaron Stonacek lit the lamp just over a minute later, beating Alaska goaltender Dusan Sidor with the help of Arthur Bidwill and Austin Block. Jon Waggoner and Alex McRae then scored just over a minute apart near the end of the first period to put Fairbanks firmly in control. Eric Kraft and Arthur Bidwill recorded assists on Waggoner’s goal and John Lennartson and Julian Mikola provided the help for McRae. The Avalanche scored their sole goal of the night when Adam Friese got the better of Cody Reichard a minute into the second period.

With the Ice Dogs holding a 6-1 lead after two periods, Reichard would give way to backup goalie R.J. Copeland for the final frame.

Reichard made 15 saves while Copeland stopped 10 pucks.

McCabe tallied his second goal of the night at the 4:20 mark of the second period, and Paul Kirtland found the back of the net 11:39 into the second.

Nick Guran, who assisted on McCabe’s second goal, and Drew Darwitz rounded out the scoring.