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Game Preview: Stockton Thunder at Utah Grizzlies

March 10, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


GAME PREVIEW: STOCKTON THUNDER at UTAH GRIZZLIES

DATE: Saturday, March 10, 2012

TIME: 6:05 p.m.

SITE: Maverik Center

RADIO: 1280 AM KWSX/StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks

Utah Grizzlies: Calgary Flames

NEXT HOME GAME

Wednesday, March 14 vs. Idaho Steelheads, 7:00 p.m.

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

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder visits the Utah Grizzlies to conclude a two game series at Maverik Center and a four game road trip. Last night, the Thunder was defeated by Utah, 4-1 at Maverik Center in the first meeting between the teams since Nov. 5. The Thunder is 1-1-1 against Utah this season and needs just one point to claim their sixth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth. They carry a lifetime record of 23-24-6 vs. Utah.

PLAYOFF SCENARIO

The Thunder can clinch a playoff berth tonight if:

- The Thunder wins (OR)

- The Thunder loses in overtime or a shootout (OR)

- The Bakersfield Condors lose

SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 1-1-1)

Fri. Nov. 4 Utah 1 at Stockton 0 (SO)

Sat. Nov. 5 Utah 2 at Stockton 3

Fri. Mar. 9 Stockton 1 at Utah 4

Sat. Mar. 10 at Utah 6:05 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 17 Utah 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Mar. 18 Utah 4:00 p.m.

LAST THREE GAMES:

UTA 4 - STK 1 (3/9/12): Prospect Mitch Wahl scored one goal and added two assists to help the Utah Grizzlies defeat the Stockton Thunder (30-26-5, 65 points), 4-1, before 5,515 fans at Maverik Center on Friday night. The Thunder earned a tie for a Kelly Cup Playoff berth after Bakersfield lost in a shootout, 2-1 at Idaho. The Thunder can seize an outright clinch tomorrow if they win, lose in overtime or in a shootout or if Bakersfield loses. Matt Reber had the only Thunder goal, scoring in his return to Maverik Center for the first time since he left Utah via a trade in January. Andrew Engelage earned the win with 30 saves.

STK 6 - COL 2 (3/7/12): Gabriel Levesque scored a goal and added three assists for a career high four points, helping engineer five unanswered goals by the Stockton Thunder (30-25-5, 65 points) in a 6-2 rout of the Colorado Eagles before 5,289 fans at Budweiser Events Center on Wednesday. The Thunder, who moved within two points of clinching their sixth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth, buried ten goals over the two last games in Colorado and finished at 4-5-0 against the Eagles this season. They also moved to five points behind Colorado for fourth place in the Western Conference.

COL 5 - STK 4 (3/6/12): Chad Costello had a hat trick and added an assist to provide enough offense to help the Colorado Eagles escape a furious rally by the Stockton Thunder (29-25-5, 63 points), in a 5-4 Thunder loss at Budweiser Events Center on Tuesday. The Thunder was stuck at a magic number of six to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and nearly battled back four times from two goal deficits. Stockton outshot Colorado, 38-32 and were aided offensively by goals from Jason Morgan, Max Campbell, Chris D'Alvise and Jordan Fulton.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Kevin Baker is 13 goals away from 200 in his professional career

- Kevin Baker is 7 games away from 400 in his professional career

- Matt Foy is 14 goals away from 100 in his professional career

GOING THE EXTRA MILE(STONE)

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas became the eighth coach in ECHL history to reach the 300 win plateau in his career on Sunday, when the Thunder defeated Alaska, 4-3 in a shootout at Stockton Arena. Thomas is currently in his fourth season as Thunder head coach and has never missed the playoffs since earning his first position with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in 2004-05. His 122 wins stand as the all time leader in Thunder career coaching wins.

ROAD RAGE

The Thunder has parlayed a record of 7-3-2 in one goal games on the road and also boasts a record of 7-1-1 when leading after one period on the road. In the last road win, the Thunder defeated Colorado, 6-2 at Budweiser Events Center on Wednesday.

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 tied for second in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 175 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 464 449 273 176 6

2 Kevin Baker STK 327 359 175 184 18

3 Mark Derlago IDH 281 340 174 166 41

4 Olivier Labelle REA 300 248 133 115 -14

5 Marty Flichel IDH 386 361 132 229 -6

** Statistics include regular season and playoffs

LITTLE DETAILS

Since Jan. 1, Thunder defenseman Mike Little has soared to a +16 rating, which is tied for the league's best with Pierre-Luc O'Brien of South Carolina. Currently competing in his first full season, Little has also registered 21 points (5g-16a) in 31 games since New Year's Day.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

This season, the Thunder has boasted a record of 18-9-3 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 Wednesday, when they defeated Colorado 6-2 at Budweiser Events Center behind five unanswered goals.

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 233

2. Mark Adamek 186

3. Adam Huxley 183

4. Mike Lalonde 182

5. Daryl Marcoux 166

PLAYOFF NOTES

ECHL WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF STANDINGS

(Top-7 in the conference qualify for Kelly Cup playoffs)

Rank Western Conference GP W L OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA STK P10 SO

1 x * - Alaska Aces 62 38 15 2 7 85 0.685 197 146 1-0-0-1 5-2-0-3 3-7

2 x * - Ontario Reign 61 37 16 5 3 82 0.672 213 169 5-0-2-1 6-1-2-1 5-3

3 x Las Vegas Wranglers 62 38 19 1 4 81 0.653 202 167 3-0-0-0 7-3-0-0 4-4

4 x Colorado Eagles 60 32 22 1 5 70 0.583 220 213 0-2-0-0 4-5-0-1 3-5

5 Stockton Thunder 61 30 26 1 4 65 0.533 174 181 0-1-0-0 5-5-0-0 6-4

6 Utah Grizzlies 62 27 30 0 5 59 0.476 148 198 2-0-0-0 5-5-0-0 7-5

7 Idaho Steelheads 61 25 29 2 5 57 0.467 166 202 2-0-0-0 2-7-0-1 7-5

8 Bakersfield Condors 61 18 36 4 3 43 0.352 162 206 0-1-0-1 4-4-0-2 1-3

* Division leader

x Teams who have clinched a playoff spot.

y Teams who have clinched the division title

z Team who has clinched the conference title, 1st round bye

2011 Playoff March Notes -

- The Thunder has 11 regular season games remaining and has a magic number of 1 to clinch a playoff berth.

- Stockton has regular season games remaining against the following teams:

- Utah (3)

- Idaho (4)

- Las Vegas (1)

- Ontario (1)

- Bakersfield (2)

- The top seven teams in the Western Conference will qualify for the 2011 Kelly Cup Playoffs and will be seeded by conference ranking in the first and second round of the playoffs. The #1 seed will receive a bye through the first round and the #2 seed will play #7, the #3 seed will play #6, and the #4 seed will play #5. Home ice advantage will be determined by points.

- If the Kelly Cup Playoffs began today, the Thunder would face the Colorado Eagles in the Western Conference Quarterfinal.

- Currently, 66 points guarantees a playoff spot as the 8th place Bakersfield Condors can only amass 65 points this season.

- The Thunder has surpassed the 30-win plateau for the fifth time in club history (2006-07, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11)

- TIE-BREAKER: The tiebreaker for the Western Conference if two teams tie will be: 1. Wins (regulation and OT only), regular season; 2. Points, head-to-head; 3. Wins, head-to-head; 4. Goal differential, head-to-head; 5. Winning percentage, division (if tied teams are from same division; if not, skip to 6); 6. Winning percentage, conference; 7. Goals for, regular season; 8. Goals against, regular season; 9. Coin toss

The tiebreaker for the Western Conference if three teams are tied will be: 1. Wins (regulation and OT only); 2. Winning percentage, games between the teams; 3. Goal differential, games between the teams; 4. Winning percentage, division; 5. Winning percentage, conference; 6. Goals for, regular season; 7. Goals against, regular season; 8. Coin toss. When two teams remain after the third or other teams are eliminated during any step above, the tiebreaker reverts to Step 1 of the two-team format.

- Last season, the Thunder clinched its fifth straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth with the 3rd seed in the Western Conference and a tied a club record in points for one season with a 37-23-12 record (86 points)

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