Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Victoria Salmon Kings

Published on November 14, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


FACEOFF: 7:05 p.m. PT

RADIO: 1420-AM KSTN

INTERNET: www.stocktonthunder.com (B2 Networks)

2007-08 HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

11/14/07 Stockton at Victoria

11/16/07 Stockton at Victoria

11/17/07 Stockton at Victoria

12/28/07 Victoria at Stockton

02/07/08 Victoria at Stockton

03/26/08 Victoria at Stockton

03/29/08 Victoria at Stockton

UPCOMING MILESTONES

* Chris Cichocki is 11 wins shy of 200 in his ECHL coaching career

* Brandon Schwartz is 6 games shy of 100 in his professional career

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

Keeping a close pace behind first place in the Pacific Division, the Thunder heads north for a three-game road trip against the Victoria Salmon Kings. It is the only trip into Canada for the Thunder in regular season play, carrying a 4-2-2 record last year against the Salmon Kings and a 2-4-2 lifetime record at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. The stretch wraps up a busy schedule for the Thunder, who are in the midst of playing four games in six nights. The Thunder is 6-2-0 in its last eight games and trails division leader Las Vegas by two points. .

LAST GAME RECAP

Igor Gongalsky scored a goal and added an assist to lift the Fresno Falcons to a 4-1 win over the Thunder on Monday, a day after both teams had their Sunday contest postponed due to faulty ice conditions. Thunder goaltender Glenn Fisher kept the Thunder in the game with 26 saves, including a breakaway save in the second period on Jarret Konkle. Andy Contois scored the only Thunder goal in the second period. The loss snapped a nine-game regular season winning streak at home for the Thunder, dating back to March 14, 2007.

ON THE AIR

1420 KSTN is the Thunder's flagship radio station and all Thunder games can be heard live on the Internet (free-of-charge) and are available for viewing at a $6 "pay-per-view" charge at www.stocktonthunder.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. Wednesday and Friday's game can be heard on both radio and internet, with Saturday's game broadcasted exclusively online through www.stocktonthunder.com.

WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS

After a tough start to the season where the Thunder scored only five goals in its first three games, a 6-2-0 run in its last eight games has produced an average of 3.7 goals per game. The Thunder's 35 goals scored rank 10th in the ECHL. Three players are averaging a point-per-game or better: scoring leader Andy Contois (1.09 ppg), Jacob Micflikier and Jesse Bennefield (1.00).

CONTOIS STORY

Known for his speed and one of the headline free-agent pickups during the ECHL offseason, Andy Contois leads the Thunder in scoring with 12 points (4g-8a) in 11 games - already more than a quarter of the way to his 40 point (19g-21a) total produced last season as a rookie with the Gwinnett Gladiators. Contois has points in eight of his last nine games, tallying three multi-point efforts and a shorthanded goal. Additionally, Contois has a +6 rating during the Thunder's 6-2-0 record in eight games.

ABOUT THE SALMON KINGS

The Victoria Salmon Kings are in their fourth season of ECHL play and are in their second season under the NHL affiliate umbrella of the local Vancouver Canucks. In his first year as head coach last year, Mark Morrison guided the Salmon Kings to their first-ever Kelly Cup Playoff berth, garnering the seventh seed at a 36-32-4 clip (76 points) and pushed the defending Kelly Cup Champion Alaska Aces to a grueling, six-game series in the first round. 11 players who graced Victoria's roster last year are back, including brothers Derek and (former Colorado Avalanche forward) Jordan Krestanovich. Re-united are brothers Wes and Ash Goldie, after Victoria signed Ash as a free-agent last summer. Ash Goldie's nine goals currently are tied for second in the ECHL.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



ECHL Stories from November 14, 2007


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central