Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Las Vegas Wranglers

Published on February 26, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


For the first time this season, the Thunder and Las Vegas Wranglers finally meet beginning tonight, the first of six meetings this season between both teams and starting the only series at Orleans Arena this season for the Thunder. It is the first meeting between both teams since game seven of last year's second round (Pacific Division Final) of the Kelly Cup Playoffs, won by Las Vegas, 5-1. Through the lifetime series, the Thunder is 7-18-1 against the Wranglers and last season, finished 3-3-0 in the regular season. Friday's game will mark the first meeting between Thunder head coach, Matt Thomas and his former assistant, Ryan Mougenel, currently in his first season as head coach for Las Vegas.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

UTA 7 - STK 1 (2/24/10): Veteran Lance Galbraith had a hat trick and three assists to tie a single-game Utah Grizzlies record with six points, helping send the Thunder to a 7-1 defeat before 2,348 fans at The E-Center on Wednesday. The Thunder, who dropped the second straight loss in regulation for the first time since Dec. 18-19 (at Victoria), received its only goal of the game from Matt Robinson. Vladimir Nikiforov, Tony Romano, A.J. Perry and Tom May also scored for Utah.

UTA 5 - STK 4 (2/23/10): Veteran Lance Galbraith's power-play goal erased a 4-4 tie and helped the Utah Grizzlies send the Thunder to only their second regulation loss in 11 games, 5-4, before a crowd of 1,962 at The E-Center on Tuesday evening. Utah rode an offensive wave of their top line, as James Sixsmith (1g-3a), Ryan Kinasewich (1g-2a) and A.J. Perry (two assists) combined for nine points between the trio. The Thunder each received a goal from J.F. Caudron, Justin DaCosta, Matt Robinson and Daryl Marcoux.

STK 2 - BAK 0 (2/20/10): Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 45 saves for his third shutout of the season and fifth of his career, helping guide the Thunder to a 2-0 victory over the host Bakersfield Condors, before 5,354 fans at Rabobank Arena on Saturday night. The Thunder, who took three of four points from their first place counterpart, closed the gap for first place in the Pacific Division to just five points as James Bates and Oren Eizenman scored in the second and third period, each.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Tonight's game marks the first time that Thunder head coach Matt Thomas and former Thunder and Fresno Falcons assistant coach Ryan Mougenel, now head coach for Las Vegas, meet since Mougenel was named Wranglers head coach before the 2009-10 season. As a part of Thomas' bench, the Thunder advanced to the second round for the first time in club history last year and he previously helped Fresno post two 40-win seasons, including a 43-15-14 record in 2005-06 where the Falcons surpassed the 100-point mark and advanced to the National Conference Finals for the first time in club history. Additionally, Thunder forward J.F. Caudron faces Mougenel for the first time since the two were teammates in Atlantic City during the 2002-03 Kelly Cup title run.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder ranks third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 5,934 fans per game and is vying to tie a league record by leading the league in attendance for five straight seasons. On Jan. 30, the Thunder drew 9,158 fans to Stockton Arena against Victoria, the second largest home crowd this year. The Thunder led the ECHL in attendance last year with an average of 6,218 fans through 36 home games. Stockton has 14 sellouts in the team's franchise history and drew a standing room only crowd of 9,392 on Nov. 8 vs. Alaska. Last year, the Thunder became the first team since 2004-05 to lead the ECHL in attendance for four straight seasons (Florida led the ECHL in attendance for five straight seasons - 2000-05).

REWIND: SECOND ROUND (THUNDER VS. LAS VEGAS)

Tonight's game is the first rematch of the season since the Thunder faced Las Vegas in the second round (Pacific Division Final) of last year's Kelly Cup Playoffs, won by Las Vegas in seven games, 4-3. The Thunder captured game one, 4-3, on Cory Urquhart's pair of goals and Las Vegas responded with a 4-2 win at Orleans Arena in game two. Following a 5-1 Thunder win in game three, the Wranglers ripped off two straight wins before the Thunder forced game seven in a 3-1 win at Las Vegas in game six. The Wranglers advanced to the National Conference Final with a 5-1 home victory in game seven.

ALL-STAR IS SHINING

Rookie center Chris D'Alvise, who had an assist representing the Thunder at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario on Jan. 20, recently had a career-high eight-game scoring streak with eight points (4g-4a) in that span. This month, he has erupted with 11 points (6g-5a) in 8 games. D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 23 goals (T-3, ECHL rookies) and leads Thunder rookies with 42 points (7th, ECHL rookies) in 49 games this season. D'Alvise has two hat tricks this season.

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