Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Idaho Steelheads

Published on January 28, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Stockton Thunder, who are 9-1-0 in the last ten games and carrying an eight-game win streak, returns home for the first game and weekend series after the All-Star break on Friday against the Idaho Steelheads. The Thunder is 3-0-2 this year against Idaho. The last time both teams met was on Nov. 20 and Stockton was defeated by Idaho, 2-1 in a shootout at Stockton Arena. All time, the Thunder is 20-25-5 against Idaho. Stockton enters the week with the third best record in the Western Conference and the fourth best win percentage in the ECHL.

TONIGHT ‚¬â„¢S GUEST

The Stockton Thunder welcomes staff from the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League to tonight ‚¬â„¢s game, attended by Oilers goaltending coach Frederic Chabot.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 4 ‚¬" ONT 2 (1/23/11): A trio of power-play goals, including Ryan Constant ‚¬â„¢s eventual game-winner, were enough to boost the Thunder to a 4-2 victory and three-game, weekend sweep over the Ontario Reign, before an announced crowd of 7,434 at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Sunday. The Thunder, who won their eighth straight game and moved into sole possession of third place in the Western Conference, received additional goal-scoring help and three-point games from Jim McKenzie and former Reign forward P.A. Bureau, while Jarrett Konkle also helped out with a first period goal. Garrett Zemlak, returning to Ontario for the first time since the Reign traded him to Kalamazoo in October, picked up the win in net for the Thunder with 25 saves.

STK 4 ‚¬" ONT 1 (1/22/11): Captain Craig Valette snapped a 1-1 tie with his third goal of the season, igniting a three-goal rally by the Thunder in a 4-1 victory over the Ontario Reign before a crowd of 9,482 at Stockton Arena on Saturday. In the Thunder ‚¬â„¢s sixth annual ‚¬Å“Teddy Bear Toss ‚¬Â game, where fans were invited to donate stuffed animals to the ice surface on the first Thunder goal (for youth charity), Jim McKenzie scored the promotional goal early in the first period, and Jesse Gimblett and Jarrett Konkle chipped in with a goal each for the Thunder. Stockton won its seventh in a row and improved to 3-1-2 in the annual ‚¬Å“Teddy Bear Toss ‚¬Â event.

STK 7 ‚¬" ONT 2 (1/21/11): Fraser Clair (2g-1a) and Ryan Constant (three assists) both posted three-point games to lead the Thunder to its sixth consecutive victory, routing the Ontario Reign in a 7-2 victory before 5,395 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday. Stockton came back from an early 1-0 deficit to score seven of the next eight goals, claiming its seventh win in the last eight games and moving up to fourth place in the Western Conference. In a fight marred game that featured 96 penalty minutes, 50 which came in the final 3:27 of the game on five separate fights, the Thunder also got goal-scoring help from Steve Vanoosten, Jim McKenzie, Jordan Fulton, Jarrett Konkle and Garet Hunt.

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

· Ryan Constant is 8 games away from 300 in his professional career

· Jim McKenzie is 9 games away from 200 in his professional career

SEASON SERIES (Thunder is 3-0-2)

Wed. Nov. 10 Stockton 2 at Idaho 1 (SO)

Fri. Nov. 12 Stockton 3 at Idaho 4 (SO)

Sat. Nov. 13 Stockton 5 at Idaho 4

Thur. Nov. 18 Idaho 2 at Stockton 3 (SO)

Sat. Nov. 20 Idaho 2 at Stockton1 (SO)

Fri. Jan. 28 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 29 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Jan. 30 Idaho 4:00 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 18 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 19 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Mar. 20 Idaho 4:00 p.m.

CROWDING OUT THE ECHL A whopping crowd of 9,482 piled into Stockton Arena for the ‚¬Å“Teddy Bear Toss ‚¬Â game, the largest crowd at Stockton Arena this season and the fourth crowd over 9,000 in the event ‚¬â„¢s history. It keeps the Thunder in second for ECHL attendance, attracting an average of 6,154 fans per game, through 17 home games. 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 in 2008-09, 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).

LIKE THUNDER, THE OFFENSE ROLLS

Scoring four times on Sunday in a 4-2 win at Ontario, the Thunder have posted a combined 37 goals in their eight-game win streak, also tying a season-high with seven goals in last Friday ‚¬â„¢s 7-2 win vs. Ontario. Currently, the Thunder ranks 7th in the ECHL with 3.2 goals per game.

CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDER

The Thunder enters Sunday ‚¬â„¢s game with 65 major penalties, leading the ECHL. Additionally, their average of 22.5 penalty minutes ranks second in the ECHL, eclipsed only by Utah ‚¬â„¢s average of 23.6 per game. Individually, the Thunder is led by Garet Hunt, who has 96 penalty minutes. Eight players on the Thunder have registered 50 penalty minutes or more at the halfway mark this season.

LIKE A BROKEN RECORD

The Thunder broke a club record on Saturday, Nov. 20 in a 2-1 shootout loss to Idaho for a 12-game unbeaten streak in regulation (8-0-4). The previous standard was set with an 11-0-0 run in 2006-07. The Thunder began the streak with a 5-4 overtime loss to Ontario on Oct. 16 at Stockton Arena and tied the mark on Nov. 18, in a 3-2 shootout win over Idaho.

THUNDER ANSWERS ROAD RULES CHALLENGE

The Thunder owned a 6-0-2 streak on the road to begin the season, finishing as the last remaining team in the ECHL yet to lose a game in regulation on the road. Additionally, the streak to start the season broke the mark of five straight games without a loss in regulation (5-0-0), set back in 2006-07 (Mar. 17-31). Currently, the Thunder have won five straight games on the road, tying a season high.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas ranks third in wins in the last decade in the ECHL (among active coaches), entering the year with a lifetime .606 win percentage (234-143-54 record) in six seasons as a head coach for Stockton, Fresno and Atlantic City. Thomas also has never missed the playoffs, won a Kelly Cup championship in 2002-03 as an assistant coach with Atlantic City, has been named coach for the ECHL All-Star Game twice (2005, 2009) and has been behind the bench in a coaching role for teams that advanced to the Conference Finals three times.

ALL-TIME WINS, REGULAR SEASON (2000-2010)

COACH WINS

1. Jeff Pyle (Gwinnett, Mobile) * 362

2. Malcolm Cameron (four teams) * 314

3. Davis Payne (Alaska, Pee-Dee) 289

4. Glen Gulutzan (Las Vegas) 254

Matt Thomas (Stockton, Fre, A.C.) * 254

* Currently ECHL active

ON THE MARK

Returning for his first home game since an AHL recall, Mark Arcobello became the first player in Thunder history to collect a hat trick and pick up the Most Valuable Player award in the ECHL All-Star Game on Wednesday, in a 9-3 win for the ECHL All-Star team over the host Bakersfield Condors. Arcobello scored on three of the first five goals for the All-Stars, and represented the Thunder at the game along with trainer Kevin Anderson. Arcobello ‚¬â„¢s feat made him the eighth player in ECHL All-Star Game history to pick up a hat trick in the game.

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