Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Victoria Salmon Kings

Published on December 16, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder, on a season-high five-game winning streak, continues a seven-game road trip with three games against the Victoria Salmon Kings, beginning Wednesday at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre which is the third of 12 meetings between the teams this year. The Thunder is 13-16-4 lifetime against Victoria and is 2-0-0 this year in the head-to-head series. The last time both teams met, the Thunder defeated Victoria, 5-2 on Nov. 1. The Thunder will visit Victoria for five games this season.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

STK 4 - AK 3 (12/13/09): Center Oren Eizenman's pair of goal and goaltender Andrew Perugini's 37 saves were enough to help the Thunder become the second team to sweep the Alaska Aces in a three-game series at Sullivan Arena in Alaska's ECHL history, winning 4-3 before 4,334 fans in Anchorage on Sunday. The Thunder, who received the game-winning goal and a two-point (1g-1a) effort from rookie defenseman Anthony Aiello, increased their winning streak to five straight games and improved to 8-2-1 in the last 11 all-time games at Sullivan Arena. Stockton moved to one point behind the Aces for fifth place in the National Conference.

STK 5 - AK 4 (12/12/09): Left winger Matt Robinson collected his second straight two-goal game against his former team and buried a game-winning goal with 5:25 left in regulation to help guide the Thunder to a 5-4 victory over the Alaska Aces before a crowd of 5,671 at Sullivan Arena on Saturday. Robinson, who scored his third and fourth goals while playing on Sullivan Arena ice for the first time since 2007-08, was spelled by Thunder goals from Judd Blackwater, Jamie Bates and J.F. Caudron. John Lammers picked up a hat trick for Alaska in the losing cause, as the Thunder improved to 3-0-1 in their last four lifetime games in Anchorage.

STK 6 - AK 4 (12/11/09): Former Alaska Aces forwards Brett Hemingway and Matt Robinson combined for five points (3g-2a) in their first return to Anchorage as opposing players to help lift the Thunder to their third straight win in a 6-4 victory over Alaska before 5,780 at Sullivan Arena on Friday. Hemingway, who was released by the Aces in November, led the Thunder offense with a goal and two assists and buried a go-ahead goal in the third period. Robinson, who returned to Anchorage for the first time since the 2008-09 season, scored two goals in the first period. Kelly Czuy scored the game-winning goal and Justin Dacosta scored his first ECHL goal.

ONE IN A MILLION

The Thunder named Kim Cuevas of Stockton the winner of its "One Millionth Fan" award on Dec. 4 against Bakersfield. The contest began on Oct. 23 in the official countdown to search for one millionth fan to cross the turnstiles of Stockton Arena in the Thunder's five year history. Cuevas was selected as fans entered Stockton Arena before last night's game and was awarded an array of prizes, including a vacation stay at Yosemite Lodge (Yosemite National Park), 2010-11 season tickets and an Amtrak train trip to Salt Lake City to see the Thunder face the Utah Grizzlies.

REUNION TOUR

Five players on the Thunder roster return to British Columbia this weekend with playing connections to the province. Forwards Brett Hemingway (2007-09) and Matt Robinson (2006-08) grew up in Surrey and South Surrey, respectively. Second-year forward Garet Hunt, who broke a Thunder single-season record with 248 penalty minutes last season, is a native of Maple Ridge and skated in 193 games in four years (2004-08) for the Vancouver Giants during his junior career in the Western Hockey League. Rookie defenseman Steve Vanoosten grew up in Langley, B.C.

WELCOME MATT

Thunder left winger Matt Robinson was named Sher-wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week on Tuesday and has a six-game scoring streak with 10 points (7g-3a) in that span. Since Robinson signed with the Thunder as a free agent on Dec. 2, he has seven points (6g-1a) in five games with Stockton.

THUNDER ALL-TIME ECHL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS

Date awarded

1. Joel Irwin March 14, 2006

2. Mathieu Melanson March 13, 2007

3. Brock Radunske March 27, 2007

4. Cory Urquhart January 14, 2009

5. Mike Lalonde January 23, 2009

6. Matt Robinson December 15, 2009

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder leads ECHL attendance with an average of 5,874 fans per game and is vying to tie a league record by leading the league in attendance for five straight seasons. 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).

POWER TRIP

The Thunder power-play leads the ECHL at 24.2 percent (30-for-124) and is the best unit on the road this season, converting at 29.3 percent (17-for-58). On Sunday, the Thunder went 2-for-6 on the man-advantage against Alaska. Judd Blackwater has six power-play goals, leading the Thunder and currently tied for the ECHL lead.

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