Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Bakersfield Condors

December 10, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder, entering the week at first place in the Pacific Division, ends a four-game road trip on Friday to visit Bakersfield Condors. Friday's game is the fifth of 11 meetings between both clubs and the last time both teams met, the Thunder defeated Bakersfield, 4-0 at Stockton Arena on Nov. 7. The Thunder is 20-17-11 lifetime against the Condors through six seasons and is 3-0-1 in the head-to-head series. Dating back to February of the 2009-10 season, the Thunder is 3-0-2 in the last five games at Rabobank Arena, including two games in the Kelly Cup Playoff's National Conference Semifinal. The Thunder are the only team yet to lose on the road in regulation this season in the ECHL (6-0-2). Stockton outscored Bakersfield, 15-2, in a combined score the last time both teams met in a three-game series at Stockton Arena.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 5 ‚¬" VIC 4 (OT) (12/4/10): Fraser Clair capped a two-goal game with game-winning goal, coming with 21.9 seconds remaining in sudden death overtime to lift the Thunder to a 5-4 overtime win over the Victoria Salmon Kings, before a crowd of 3,363 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday. Clair, who broke a 12-game goal-scoring drought with the effort, capped off a five-point run in the last two games and converted Chris Lawrence's centering pass from the left corner at the goal mouth to boost the Thunder to a three-game road sweep of Victoria and a team record 6-0-2 streak on the road. Pierre-Andre Bureau capped off a two-goal game (first goal in his pro career) and Lawrence also chipped in with two points (1g-1a). Goaltender Bryan Pitton improved to 7-0-1 with 33 saves.

STK 5 ‚¬" VIC 3 (12/3/10): Defensemen Anthony Aiello tied a career-high with two goals and Bryan Pitton made 28 saves to lift the Thunder to a 5-3 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings, before 4,479 fans at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday night. The Thunder improved to a club record 5-0-2 (longest road unbeaten streak) on the road. Aiello's two goals produced points spread out among the blueline, including Cameron Brodie (one assist) and Dan Ringwald (one assist). Chris Lawrence, Mark Arcobello and Garet Hunt also chipped in with a goal each.

STK 3 ‚¬" VIC 2 (SO) (12/1/10): Goaltender Bryan Pitton made 29 saves in his return from the American Hockey League and stopped three attempts in a shootout to boost the Thunder to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings before a crowd of 3,010 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday. The Thunder, who reclaimed sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division and snapped a four-game winless skid in regulation, remained unbeaten on the road as well at 4-0-2 this season. Pitton, who improved to 5-0-2 in the ECHL, stopped Rick Cleaver, Matt Siddall and Chad Painchaud in the shootout and also came up with a game-saving stop on Matt Siddall in the remaining seconds of overtime.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder is 3-0-1)

Fri. Oct. 29 Stockton 4 at Bakersfield 5 (SO)

Fri. Nov. 5 Bakersfield 0 at Stockton 7

Sat. Nov. 6 Bakersfield 2 at Stockton 4

Sun. Nov. 7 Bakersfield 0 at Stockton 4

Fri. Dec. 10 at Bakersfield 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Dec. 26 at Bakersfield 6:00 p.m.

Mon. Dec. 27 at Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Jan. 12 Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Tue. Feb. 22 Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 25 at Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 26 at Bakersfield Noon

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

Aaron Clarke is 12 assists away from 100 in his professional career

Ryan Constant is 10 points away from 200 in his professional career

Ryan Constant is 27 games away from 300 in his professional career

Jim McKenzie is 18 games away from 200 in his professional career

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD

The Thunder broke a club record on Saturday, Nov. 20 in a 2-1 shootout loss to Idaho for a 12-game unbeaten streak in regulation (8-0-4). The previous standard was set with an 11-0-0 run in 2006-07. The Thunder began the streak with a 5-4 overtime loss to Ontario on Oct. 16 at Stockton Arena and tied the mark on Nov. 18, in a 3-2 shootout win over the Idaho Steelheads.

THUNDER ANSWERS ROAD RULES CHALLENGE

The current road record of 6-0-2 places the Thunder as the only team in the ECHL to yet lose a game in regulation on the road this season. Additionally, the streak to start the season has reached eight games without a regulation loss, breaking the mark of five straight (5-0-0) set back in 2006-07 (Mar. 17-31).

PITT STOP

Goaltender Bryan Pitton is 7-0-1 in six ECHL decisions and returned from the American Hockey League on Dec. 1 to post a 29-save victory, including three of four saves in a shootout (3-2 win) and followed up with consecutive 28 and 33-save efforts wins on Friday and Saturday. Pitton's 2.26 goals-against-average is fifth in the ECHL and is tied with Mike Zacharias (Idaho) with two shootout wins to lead the ECHL. He has earned ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors three times in his career.

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT

The Thunder have allowed just 26.6 shots per game, second in the ECHL entering the week. The Thunder have allowed over 30 shots on goal in just eight games this year and on Nov. 24, the Thunder tied a franchise low with 13 shots allowed in a 1-0 defeat to Las Vegas. They outshot Las Vegas, 42-13. In the last game, the Thunder outshot Victoria, 44-37 in a 5-4 overtime victory last Saturday.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas ranks third in wins in the last decade in the ECHL (among active coaches), entering the year with a lifetime .606 win percentage (234-143-54 record) in six seasons as a head coach for Stockton, Fresno and Atlantic City. Thomas also has never missed the playoffs, won a Kelly Cup championship in 2002-03 as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, has been named coach for the ECHL All-Star Game twice (2005, 2009) and has been behind the bench in a coaching role for teams that advanced to the Conference Finals three times.

ALL-TIME WINS, REGULAR SEASON (2000-2010)

COACH WINS

1. Jeff Pyle (Gwinnett, Mobile) * 357

2. Malcolm Cameron (four teams) * 307

3. Davis Payne (Alaska, Pee-Dee) 289

4. Glen Gulutzan (Las Vegas) 254

5. Matt Thomas (Stockton, Fre, A.C.) * 244

* Currently ECHL active

ROSTER SERVES A TALL ORDER

Ten players on the Thunder active roster measure at 6-foot-1 or taller: Anthony Aiello (6-1), Cameron Brodie (6-1), Chris Lawrence (6-4), Jim McKenzie (6-2), Chase Ryan (6-2), Bryan Pitton (6-2), Steve Vanoosten (6-1), Craig Valette (6-1), Marcus Watson (6-2) and Garrett Zemlak (6-1).



ECHL Stories from December 10, 2010


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