Deepest Playoff Run For Thunder

Published on June 1, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


CONFERENCE FINALS RECAP: THUNDER GOES SIX WITH THE BEST-RECORD STEELEHEADS IN A NUTSHELL: The Thunder completed its deepest playoff run in club history, defeated by the Idaho Steelheads, 4-2 in a best-of-seven series in the National Conference Final ... the Thunder played hockey into the month of May for the second season in a row ... Idaho advanced to the Kelly Cup Final for the third time in six years and lost, 4-1 in the Final to Cincinnati... Idaho took the first two games at Qwest Arena, 4-2 and 4-0, before the Thunder responded with a triple overtime, 1-0 victory at Stockton Arena in Game 3 on Ryan Constant's goal coming 36 seconds in ... it marked the longest 0-0 game in ECHL history ... Bryan Pitton made 29 saves while defenseman Steve Vanoosten led seven players who had multi point games with three assists, as the Thunder routed the Idaho Steelheads in a 7-2 victory in Game 4 at Stockton Arena ... the Thunder chased Idaho goaltender Richard Bachman (fell to 6-2 with 11 saves) who left in the second period with an injury ... it would be the last time Bachman played in the postseason for Idaho ... in Game 5, the Steelheads used a pair of goals from Marty Flichel in a three-goal, second period effort to outlast the Thunder, 6-3 in Game 5 at Stockton Arena, taking a 3-2 series lead ... the Thunder, who trailed 4-3 late in the game and nearly tied it with 3:30 left in regulation, had a one-timer goal by Oren Eizenman waved off. Eizenman fired a shot from the high slot that appeared to beat Rejean Beauchemin under the crossbar with the puck zipping out. But the ruling, which interpreted the puck hit the crossbar, negated the goal ... John-Scott Dickson's natural hat trick in the second period helped Idaho eliminate the Thunder in Game 6 at Qwest Arena, 7-5 ... the Thunder had a 2-0 lead before Idaho scored six of the next seven goals, and nearly completed a comeback from a three-goal deficit with two goals in the third period.

SECOND ROUND RECAP: THUNDER PLUCKS CONDORS IN A NUTSHELL: The Thunder advanced to the National Conference Finals for the first time in club history, defeating the Bakersfield Condors, 4-1 in the best-of-seven series in the National Conference Semifinals ... the Thunder won two games in overtime at Rabobank Arena and became the first team to hand back-to-back losses in two nights to the Condors, in Bakersfield, since Idaho on Jan. 29-30 ... J.F. Caudron and Oren Eizenman had the overtime winners and Eizenman led the Thunder in scoring for the series with six points (3g-3a) in five games... Stockton defeated Bakersfield, 3-2 in overtime in Game 1 at Rabobank Arena with Caudron's overtime winner with 9:42 left ... Kelly Czuy tied the game with less than three minutes left in regulation ... Eizenman's OT winner with 10:59 left, the next night, lifted the Thunder to a 2-0 series lead in a 4-3 victory at Rabobank Arena ... in Game 3, J.P. Levasseur shut out the Thunder with 35-save shutout in a 3-0 Bakersfield win at Stockton Arena ... the Thunder struck back with Matt Robinson's playoff career-high three points (1g-2a) in a 6-2 victory over Bakersfield at Stockton Arena in Game 4, seizing a 3-1 series lead ... in Game 5, Eizenman's pair of assists, along with 14 skaters hitting the scoresheet, helped the Thunder eliminate Bakersfield in a 7-4 win at Stockton Arena, winning the series 4-1 ... Stockton bursted with a four-goal third period and Colin Hemingway registered the eventual game-winning goal.

FIRST ROUND RECAP: THUNDER FLUSHES ACES IN A NUTSHELL: The Thunder advanced to the second round for the second straight season, defeating the Alaska Aces, 3-1 in the best-of-five series in the National Conference Quarterfinals ... the Thunder became the first team in ECHL history to eliminate Alaska in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs ... Kelly Czuy had three straight multi-point games and Oren Eizenman led the Thunder series scoring with nine assists ... Defenseman B.J. Crum scored back-to-back goals, including the game-winner with 2:51 left in regulation to snap a 3-3 tie and help the Aces rally in a third period comeback, defeating the Thunder, 4-3 in Game 1 at Wasilla, Alaska ... a four goal effort in the third period, stamping a string of three unanswered goals, helped the Stockton Thunder sink the host the Alaska Aces in a 5-2 victory in Game 2 - J.F. Caudron had the game-winning goal ... All-star center Chris D'Alvise scored two goals and added an assist, Andrew Perugini made 39 saves and the Stockton Thunder scored a playoff club record five goals in the third period, en route to a thrilling 7-4 victory over the Alaska Aces in Game 3 at Stockton Arena ... the Thunder, who took a 2-1 series lead, scored five times in a span of 6:42 in the third period ... the Thunder erased two separate two-goal deficits in the first period and scored six unanswered goals, eliminating Alaska in a 8-5 victory in Game 4 at Stockton Arena ... ten different Thunder players hit the scoresheet and Andrew Perugini made 40 saves in net.

THUNDER FANS RANK AMONG LEAGUE'S BEST FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR IN A NUTSHELL: An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans at the gate for the fifth straight year. The Thunder drew 217,098 fans (6,031 average) in 36 regular season games at Stockton Arena and ranked third overall this season in ECHL attendance, only surpassed by the second-year Ontario Reign (led ECHL with 232,223 fans) and the first-year Toledo Walleye (second with 226,575 fans). The Thunder has drawn 14 sellouts in the team's franchise history, welcomed its one millionth fan this season along with a draw of five crowds of 8,000 fans or more.

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ECHL Stories from June 1, 2010


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