Game 1 Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Las Vegas Wranglers

Published on April 5, 2013 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


DATE: Friday, April 5, 2013

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

SITE: Stockton Arena

RADIO: 1360 AM KFIV/StocktonThunder.com (America One)/92.5 FM (in house feed)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers

Las Vegas Wranglers: Independent

HOME GAME PROMOTIONAL NOTES

National Anthem Singer: TuneStruck Quartet

Public Address Announcer: John Taylor

In-Arena Emcee: "Hot Rod"

NEXT HOME GAME

Saturday, April 6 vs. Las Vegas Wranglers (7:30 p.m.)

GAME 2 - WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINAL

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The fourth seeded Thunder will open the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the fifth seeded Las Vegas Wranglers in a best of seven series that follows a "2-3-2" format. The Thunder and Wranglers have met twice in the playoffs, the last time in 2009 in a series that went seven games (Las Vegas won 4-3). This will mark the first time Thunder head coach Matt Thomas and Wranglers head coach Ryan Mougenel (who served as Thomas' assistant coach from 2005-09) will face off in the playoffs. Mougenel was a forward for the 2003 Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, who won the Kelly Cup with Thomas as an assistant coach. The Thunder advanced to the Kelly Cup Playoffs for the seventh straight year. The Thunder finished 4-1-3 this season against Las Vegas.

BREAKDOWN: THUNDER ALL-TIME RECORD BY GAMES

GAME ONE

DATE ROUND OPP. LOCATION SCORE OT GOALIES (STK/opp) GWG

Apr. 10, 2007 NQF Idaho Qwest Arena W, 4-2 - Dubnyk/Silverthorn Tim Sestito

Apr. 11, 2008 NQF Las Vegas Orleans Arena W, 4-2 - Boron/Lalande Jonas Almtorp

Apr. 10, 2009 PSF Ontario CB Bank Arena L, 3-4 - Perugini-PITTON/Zatkoff Shawn Germain

Apr. 24, 2009 PF Las Vegas Stockton Arena W, 4-3 - Van Buskirk/Fisher-DeCARO Cory Urquhart

Apr. 5, 2010 NQF Alaska Menard Center L, 3-4 - Perugini/Sauer B.J. Crum

Apr. 16, 2010 NSF Bakersfield Rabobank Arena W, 3-2 10:18 Perugini/Levasseur J.F. Caudron

Apr. 30, 2010 NCF Idaho Qwest Arena L, 2-4 - PERUGINI-Pitton/Bachman Mark McCutcheon

Apr. 5, 2011 WQF Utah Maverik Center L, 2-5 - Sexsmith/Lamoureux Matt Reber

Apr. 3, 2012 WQF Colorado Stockton Arena W, 3-1 - Roy/Jones Jesse Fratkin

Apr. 13, 2012 WSF Alaska Sullivan Arena L, 1-2 - Roy/Coleman Garry Nunn

All-time game one record: 5-5

2012-13 SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 4-1-3)

Fri. Oct. 19 Stockton 2 at Las Vegas 3 (OT)

Sat. Oct. 20 Stockton 5 at Las Vegas 4

Tue. Dec. 4 Las Vegas 1 at Stockton 3

Wed. Dec. 5 Las Vegas 0 at Stockton 1

Sat. Dec. 8 Stockton 3 at Las Vegas 4 (SO)

Sat. Dec. 29 Las Vegas 3 at Stockton 2 (OT)

Fri. Mar. 8 Las Vegas 3 at Stockton 4

Sat. Mar. 9 Las Vegas 3 at Stockton 2

SEASON SERIES IN REVIEW :

The Thunder finished 4-1-3 against Las Vegas this season and won four of the five games that ended in regulation ... The two teams split the first two games in the season series at Las Vegas on Oct. 19-20 ... Scott Campbell's overtime goal gave the Wranglers a 3-2 win over the Thunder in the season series opener on Oct. 19 ... Cameron Brodie got revenge for the Thunder with the game-winning goal with 16 seconds left for a 5-4 win the next night ... Cody Reichard made 38 saves in both a 3-1 Thunder win on Dec. 4 at Stockton Arena and a 1-0 victory on Dec. 5 at home for the first shutout of his pro career ... the Thunder scored three power play goals in a 4-3 shootout loss on Dec. 8 at Orleans Arena - Chris Francis finished with two goals ... Las Vegas ended the Thunder's 2012 schedule at Stockton Arena with a 3-2 overtime win on Dec. 29 thanks to Adam Hughesman's goal ... the two teams split two games at Stockton arena on Mar. 8-9 in the season series finale ... Maxime Boisclair finished with three points in a 4-3 Thunder win on Mar. 8 ... former Thunder player Judd Blackwater finished with two points and the game-winning goal in a 3-2 Las Vegas win in the Mar. 9 finale.

THE DEFENSE DOESN'T REST

During the month of February, the Thunder defense limited opponents to three goals or less in each of the seven games featuring a win or shootout loss (Feb. 9 at Alaska - 3-2 shootout loss). The Thunder defense allowed just two goals or less in five of the previous seven games.

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL(ER)

Thunder forward Shawn Weller collected 17 points and a +6 rating in 19 games since joining the Thunder during the middle of the season. Weller, a former captain of Bakersfield and South Carolina and an ECHL All-Star in 2010, was acquired by the Thunder from South Carolina on Jan. 25 in exchange for defenseman Cameron Brodie and future considerations. Following his arrival, Weller posted four multi point games and tied his career high with a four point outing on Mar. 10 vs. Ontario.

STOCKTON VS. LAS VEGAS - THE LAST TIME OUT: 2009 PACIFIC DIVISION FINALS

STOCKTON THUNDER (#4) VS. LAS VEGAS WRANGLERS (#2)

Thunder Summary: Won-3 Lost-4

Date Score Attend. Goaltenders GW Goal

Apr. 24, 2009 (1) @ Thunder 4, Wranglers 3 4398 Van Buskirk/Fisher-DeCARO Cory Urquhart

Apr. 27, 2009 (2) Thunder 2, @ Wranglers 4 2816 Van Buskirk/Fisher Jason Dest

Apr. 30, 2009 (3) @ Thunder 5, Wranglers 1 4237 Van Buskirk/DeCaro Craig Valette

May 2, 2009 (4) @ Thunder 2, Wranglers 3 (OT) 6596 Van Buskirk/DeCaro Mick Lawrence

May 4, 2009 (5) Thunder 2, @ Wranglers 4 5389 Van Buskirk/Fisher Dan Spang

May 5, 2009 (6) Thunder 3, @ Wranglers 1 3136 Van Buskirk/Fisher Kenny MacAulay

May 6, 2009 (7) Thunder 1, @ Wranglers 5 3282 Van Buskirk/Fisher Tyler Mosienko

MAN ADVANTAGE

This season, the Thunder ranked fourth in the ECHL on power play (20.9%) percentage. Harrison Reed - who led the Thunder in scoring with 45 points in 46 games - earned 12 goals on the man advantage which finished fifth in the ECHL. Their best streak was nine straight games with a power play goal from Jan. 12 to Feb. 1.

OVERTIME HEROICS

The Thunder have won six consecutive playoff games in sudden death overtime and went 2-0 in postseason overtime last year. Since Matt Thomas took over as Thunder head coach in 2008-09, Stockton is 6-1 in sudden death overtime in the playoffs. The last Thunder win in sudden death overtime on the road came in game 2 of last season's Semifinal round at Alaska, scored by Chris D'Alvise.

RUNNING TO THE FINISH LINE

Dating back to Feb. 15, the Thunder completed a run to the regular season's conclusion with a record of 13-6-0. They won their final four games of the regular season which was their longest winning streak since Oct. 20 to Nov. 4 (6-0-0). Seven wins during the final 19 games were decided by one goal.

OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN

Garet Hunt was named the sixth captain in Thunder history on Oct. 12, taking the "C" for the first time in his career for full-time duty. Hunt served as an alternate captain for the Thunder last season and has helped guide the team to the playoffs for four straight seasons since his 2008-09 rookie campaign. Hunt is the Thunder all-time leader with 314 games played.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Thunder has made Stockton Arena ideal for home ice advantage this season with a record of 22-11-3. Below is a look at key figures for the Thunder at home this season:

At home this season, the Thunder:

- Recorded record of 22-11-3

- Totaled 15 games of scoring four goals or more

- Outshot the opposition 19 times this season

- Posted 23 games of 30 shots on goal or more

- Collected at least one power play goal in 19 of the last 26 games

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