Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Bakersfield Condors

March 31, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


With just three games remaining in the regular season, a showdown for first place implications in the Pacific Division is on tap for Tuesday and Wednesday, as the Thunder and Bakersfield Condors, tied for the division lead, meet for the final time of the regular season tonight at Stockton Arena. Wednesday's game is the Thunder's regular season home finale. In the last meeting, the Thunder clinched a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and defeated the Condors, 6-4 at Rabobank Arena last night. Stockton carries at lifetime record of 17-16-10 against Bakersfield and leads the season series, 6-3-2.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMESSTK 6 - BAK 4 (3/30/10): Kelly Czuy scored a pair of goals while James Bates (1g-2a) and Matt Robinson (1g-2a) each had three-point efforts to help steer the Thunder to a first place tie in the Pacific Division with the Bakersfield Condors in a 6-4 win over the host Condors, before 4,491 fans at Rabobank Arena. The Thunder, who clinched their fourth consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff berth with separate tie-breakers over Las Vegas and Ontario, received goal-scoring support from James Bates, J.F. Caudron, Jason Pitton and Matt Robinson, who won for the third time in four games. Andrew Perugini picked up the win in net, making 21 stops.

STK 6 - LV 5 (3/28/10): Left winger Matt Robinson completed a hat trick on a dramatic, game-winning goal with 59.5 seconds left in regulation, helping the Thunder overcome two separate three-goal deficits in a thrilling 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Las Vegas Wranglers before a crowd of 6,845 at Stockton Arena. The Thunder, moved to within two points of the idle Bakersfield Condors for first place in the Pacific Division, scored three goals in the final period and five of the last six goals in the game. Chris D'Alvise (1g-2a) and J.F. Caudron (1g-1a) chipped in with multi-point games while Bryan Young added a first period goal for the Thunder, helping backup goaltender Kurtis Mucha earn the first win of his pro career.

LV 3 - STK 2 (3/27/10): Alex Bourret bounced a loose rebound off traffic to the back of the net, snapping a 2-2 tie with 2:55 left in regulation, helping the Las Vegas Wranglers send the Thunder to a 3-2 loss before 8,053 fans at Stockton Arena on Saturday night. The loss kept the Thunder's magic number at 5 to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth and received goal-scoring support from Colin Hemingway and Matt Marquardt. Jimmy Spratt earned the win in net with 25 saves while Andrew Perugini took the loss with 26 stops.

ALL-STAR IS SHINING

Rookie center Chris D'Alvise, who was runner-up for ECHL Player of the Week (Mar. 23), had an assist representing the Thunder at the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game in Ontario on Jan. 20 and recently had a career-high eight-game scoring streak with eight points (4g-4a) in that span. In February, he erupted with 13 points (6g-7a) in 10 games. D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 30 goals (3rd, ECHL rookies) and leads Thunder rookies with 62 points (4th, ECHL rookies) in 64 games this season. D'Alvise has two hat tricks this season and posted a career-high four assists on Mar. 6 vs. Victoria (7-3 win). D'Alvise has scored 21 points (8g-13a) in the last 12 games.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder ranks third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 6,006 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). Stockton needs 4,671 fans to reach the 200,000 mark for the fifth straight season.

BATES AND SWITCH

Since returning from an AHL call-up with the Springfield Falcons, James Bates has embarked on a tear spanning over two months with 44 points (18g-26a) in 34 games and has a +16 rating. Bates currently leads the Thunder and is tied for 16th in league scoring with 65 points (26g-39a), 65 assists and has set a new career-high with 26 goals.

ECHL LEADERS - SCORING (since Jan. 15)

Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1. Tyler Donati Elmira Jackals 33 62 25 37 17

2. Mark Derlago Idaho Steelheads 32 61 28 33 23

3. Adam Miller Las Vegas Wranglers 33 52 22 30 5

4. James Bates Stockton Thunder 35 47 19 28 16

5. Ryan Kinasewich Utah Grizzlies 26 45 20 25 0

20 AND OVER ADMITTED

A growing club this season that just set a franchise high, five different players with 20 goals in one season adorn the roster, surpassing a club record when four separate 20-goal scorers dotted the roster in 2005-06 (Joel Irwin, Mike Lalonde, Ned Havern and Aaron Foster). Chris D'Alvise leads the Thunder with 32 goals (T-2, ECHL rookies), Colin Hemingway has 24 goals (one off his career-high) to rank fourth and Matt Robinson has 30 goals (new career-high) to rank second. James Bates' 27 goals are also a career-high. D'Alvise and Robinson are the first pair of 30-goal scorers in Thunder history.

THUNDER 20 GOAL CLUB

YR PLAYERS GOALS

05-06 4. Mike Lalonde 29

Joel Irwin 25 Ned Havern 23

Aaron Foster 20

06-07 2. Mike Lalonde 23

Troy Bodie 21

07-08 2. Lance Monych 32

Ryan MacMurchy 23

08-09 2. Ryan Huddy 35*

Cory Urquhart 28

09-10 5. Chris D'Alvise 32

Matt Robinson 30

James Bates 27

Colin Hemingway 24 Oren Eizenman 20

* Denotes Thunder record

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is ninth in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.97), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12. He posted his most recent blanking on a week later at Bakersfield, a career-high 45-save effort in a 2-0 Thunder win. Perugini was named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week in February for the second time in his career.

ALL-TIME THUNDER SHUTOUT LEADERBOARD

GOALTENDER SHUTOUTS

1. Andrew Perugini (2008-present) 5

2. Tim Boron (2007-08) 3

3. Devan Dubnyk (2006-07) 2

Glenn Fisher (2007-08) 2

Jake Moreland (2005-06) 2

PLAYOFF NOTES

ECHL NATIONAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFF STANDINGS

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

2010 Playoff March Notes - - The Thunder has 3 regular season games remaining.

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

Bakersfield (1) Alaska (2)

- The top seven teams in the National Conference will qualify for the 2010 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 Victoria Salmon Kings in the National Conference Quarterfinal.

- The Thunder has surpassed the 30-win plateau for the third time in club history (2006-07 and 2008-09) and last year's point total (71).

- The Thunder is attempting to win its first Pacific Division title in club history. The magic number to clinch the division title is 6 (any combination of points gained by the Thunder and lost by Bakersfield). Currently, 81 points guarantees the division title.

- TIE-BREAKER: The tiebreaker for the National Conference if two teams tie will be: 1. Wins, 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 National Conference if three teams are tied will be: 1. Wins, regular season; 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 third straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth with the 4th seed in the Pacific Division and a 32-33-7 record (71 points)

- The Thunder clinched its fourth straight Kelly Cup Playoff berth on Tuesday, defeating Bakersfield, 6-4 at Rabobank Arena.



ECHL Stories from March 31, 2010


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