Game Preview: Stockton Thunder At Victoria Salmon Kings

Published on December 19, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder, continues a seven-game road trip (3-2-0 through five games) with the final of three games against the Victoria Salmon Kings tonight at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre which is the fifth of 12 meetings between the teams this year. The Thunder is 13-18-4 lifetime against Victoria and is 2-2-0 this year in the head-to-head series. The last time both teams met, Victoria defeated the Thunder, 2-0 on Dec. 18 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Center. Tonight is the final time both teams face each other at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for the regular season.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

VIC 2 - STK 0 (12/18/09): Goaltender David Shantz outdueled Andrew Perugini by making 30 saves for his second shutout of the season, helping the Victoria Salmon Kings slip by the Thunder, 2-0 before an announced crowd of 3,675 at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday. Shantz, a 2007 ECHL All-Star selection formerly with the Florida Everblades, stopped 13 shots poured on by Stockton in the final period and helped solidify the win with a point-blank save on Matt Robinson in the waning seconds. Jimmy Sharrow and Andy Brandt (empty-netter) scored for Victoria and the Thunder were held to without a goal for the second time this season. Perugini made 32 saves in the losing cause, earning second star of the game honors.

VIC 7 - STK 2 (12/16/09): Olivier Latendresse engineered a four-point effort (2g-2a) and the Victoria Salmon Kings scored five unanswered goals in the first and second period to beat the Thunder, 7-2 before 3,842 fans at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday. The Thunder, who had their winning streak halted at five games, received goal-scoring support in the first period from J.F. Caudron and Kenny MacAulay. Spelling Latendresse's multi-goal effort were individual markers from Scott Howes, Randall Gelech, Wes Goldie, Dirk Southern and Chad Painchaud.

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.

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. Forward Riley Emmerson hails from Vancouver, British Columbia.

WELCOME MATT

Thunder left winger Matt Robinson was named Sher-wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week on Tuesday and had a six-game scoring streak with 10 points (7g-3a) in that span, ending Dec. 16 at Victoria. 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 is second in 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 23.1 percent (30-for-130) and is the fourth best unit on the road this season, converting at 26.6 percent (17-for-64). On Friday, the Thunder went 0-for-2 on the power-play against Victoria. Judd Blackwater has six power-play goals, leading the Thunder and currently tied for fourth in the ECHL.

HEMMER HITS A MILESTONE

Brett Hemingway, picked up by the Thunder as a free agent on Dec. 1 and scoring seven points (2g-5a) in six games since that date, has hit two milestones recently in a Thunder uniform. His three point (1g-2a) effort against the Alaska Aces on Dec. 11 at Sullivan Arena helped him eclipse the 100 point mark in his pro career and an assist on Dec. 16 at Victoria helped him surpass 100 points in his entire pro career.

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