Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Colorado Eagles

February 11, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


GAME PREVIEW: STOCKTON THUNDER at COLORADO EAGLES

DATE: Saturday, February 11, 2012

TIME: 6:05 p.m.

SITE: Budweiser Events Center

RADIO: StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks

Colorado Eagles: Winnipeg Jets

NEXT HOME GAME

Wednesday, Feb. 15 vs. Ontario Reign, 7:00 p.m.

FAMILY DAY (presented by Sutter Gould Medical Foundation and 99.3 KJOY)

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder wraps up a two game series tonight, visiting the Colorado Eagles at the Budweiser Events Center. The game will be the fifth of nine matchups between the teams this season. Colorado is in their first season in the ECHL after spending the previous eight seasons in the Central Hockey League. The Thunder last faced Colorado last night and was defeated in a 5-2 score at the Budweiser Events Center. The Thunder is 5-1-1 in the last seven games.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 1-3-0)

Fri. Oct. 14 Colorado 5 at Stockton 2

Fri. Oct. 21 Stockton 1 at Colorado 3

Sat. Oct. 22 Stockton 5 at Colorado 4

Fri. Feb. 10 Stockton 2 at Colorado 5

Sat. Feb. 11 at Colorado 6:05 p.m.

Sat. Feb. 18 Colorado 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Feb. 19 Colorado 4:00 p.m.

Tue. Mar. 6 at Colorado 6:05 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 7 at Colorado 6:05 p.m.

LAST THREE GAMES:

COL 5 - STK 2 (2/10/12): Steve Haddon and Joey Sides each scored a pair of goals to help the Colorado Eagles manufacture a wire to wire effort and defeat the Stockton Thunder (23-19-5, 51 points), 5-2, before an announced sold out crowd of 5,289 at the Budweiser Events Center on Friday night. The Thunder, who saw a 5-0-1 streak come to an end, were outshot 41-29 and received their offensive contributions behind a second period goal by Max Campbell and a third period goal by Chris Doyle, who continued to stay hot with his 10th goal in the last 12 games.

IDH 2 - STK 1 (SO) (2/4/12): Jerry Kuhn made 41 saves and stopped four of five in the shootout to help the Idaho Steelheads send the Stockton Thunder (23-18-5, 51 points) to a 2-1 shootout defeat before a crowd of 7,032 at Stockton Arena on Saturday. Derek LeBlanc netted Idaho's only goal in regulation, before a goal scored from red hot Thunder center Chris Doyle in the second period. LeBlanc ended the game with a forehand deke to Thunder goaltender Olivier Roy's blocker side in the bottom of the shootout's fifth round. Stockton extended an unbeaten streak in regulation to six games (5-0-1) overall and seven games (6-0-1) at home.

STK 7 - IDH 2 (2/3/12): Garet Hunt combined with linemates Kevin Baker and Chris Doyle for a ten point effort to help the Stockton Thunder (23-18-4, 50 points) rout the Idaho Steelheads in a 7-2 victory before a crowd of 6,170 at Stockton Arena on Friday. The Thunder, who collected their eighth win in the last nine games (8-1-0) and ran their season long win streak to five straight games, scored six unanswered goals and helped goaltender Alex Stalock improve to 5-0-0 in five games with a 29 save effort. Doyle scored a goal and added three assists for a career high tying four point effort.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Matt Thomas is 6 wins away from 300 in his professional coaching career

- Kevin Baker is 17 goals away from 200 in his professional career

- Matt Foy is 5 points away from 200 in his professional career

ROY WORRY?

Thunder goaltender and Edmonton Oilers prospect Olivier Roy was named runner up for ECHL Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday. Since Jan. 25, he ranks second in the ECHL with a 0.98 save percentage and has compiled a 2-1-1 record in four games, adding a .974 save percentage.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

This season, the Thunder has boasted a record of 13-6-3 when playing in the second game of a "back to back" or in a "three game in three day" scenario. The last Thunder win in that situation came on Jan. 29, when they defeated Alaska, 4-1 at Stockton Arena.

OH, DOYLE RULES

Thunder center Chris Doyle was named Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week on Tuesday after a performance last week that featured four goals and three assists in three games. He guided the Thunder to a 2-0-1 record during the week and has scored ten goals in 12 games since joining the team in January. He was the first Thunder player to receive the weekly award this season.

THUNDER BOOMING AGAIN

In the last 12 games, the Thunder have blasted through with 45 goals, including seven in a 7-2 victory over Idaho last Friday where they poured 40 shots on goal and had six goals through two periods. In the game, the Thunder came within two goals of tying a Thunder record of nine goals set in one game (Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield).

GOAL ORIENTED

Thunder right winger Kevin Baker was signed as a free agent on Aug. 24 and brings a wealth of offensive accomplishments to the Thunder roster. He was named ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and his 57 goals that season were most in the league since 2000-01. He ranks third in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 171 goals. On Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield, he collected his first hat trick of the season.

MOST GOALS, ECHL (SINCE 2006-07)

Rank Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1 Wes Goldie AK 453 442 266 176 3

2 Mark Derlago IDH 281 340 174 166 41

3 Kevin Baker STK 313 349 171 178 16

4 Marty Flichel IDH 382 358 131 227 -8

5 Chad Painchaud CHI 338 315 131 184 -19

** Statistics include regular season and playoffs

HUNTING DOWN A MILESTONE

Thunder left winger Garet Hunt has surpassed Mark Adamek as the club's career leader in games played. Hunt is in his fourth season as a member of the Thunder and last season, was named the team's "Unsung Hero" and "Fan Favorite." This season, he was named alternate captain on Oct. 13. He played in his 200th career game with the Thunder on Dec. 16 vs. Idaho.

ALL-TIME THUNDER GAMES PLAYED

Player GP

1. Garet Hunt 218

2. Mark Adamek 186

3. Adam Huxley 183

4. Mike Lalonde 182

5. Daryl Marcoux 166

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth straight year in 2010-11, ranking second in ECHL in attendance with 6,382 fans per game. Stockton has 17 sellouts in the team's franchise history. They welcomed 12 crowds of 7,000 or more at Stockton Arena last season and had its highest attendance since 2007-08, a six percent increase from 2009-10. This season, the Thunder has welcome 11 crowds of 6,000 or more to Stockton Arena and drew a season high 9,012 fans on Nov. 5 vs. Utah.

The Thunder is second in ECHL attendance with an average of 5,826 fans per game.



ECHL Stories from February 11, 2012


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