Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Idaho Steelheads

Published on February 4, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


GAME PREVIEW: STOCKTON THUNDER vs. IDAHO STEELHEADS

DATE: Saturday, February 4, 2012

TIME: 7:30 p.m.

SITE: Stockton Arena

RADIO: StocktonThunder.com (AmericaOne)/92.5 FM (in-house feed)

NHL AFFILIATES

Stockton Thunder: Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks

Idaho Steelheads: Dallas Stars

HOME GAME PROMOTIONAL NOTES

Tonight's Promotion: STAR WARS NIGHT, FAITH AND FAMILY NIGHT,

THOR SOAP DISPENSER (presented by Pepsi and KAT Country 103)

National Anthem Singer: Cindy Menard

Public Address Announcer: Mike McKnight

In-Arena Emcee: DJ Walker

NEXT HOME GAME

Wednesday, Feb. 15 vs. Ontario Reign, 7:00 p.m.

FAMILY DAY (presented by Sutter Gould Medical Foundation and 99.3 KJOY)

TONIGHT'S MATCHUP

The Stockton Thunder hosts the Idaho Steelheads for a two game series at home wrapping up tonight at Stockton Arena. The game marks the seventh matchup this season between both teams. The last time the teams met was last night, when the Thunder defeated the Steelheads, 7-2. The series is tied, 3-3-0 through six games. Historically, the Thunder is 27-29-6 against Idaho.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder: 3-3-0)

Sat. Oct. 29 Idaho 3 at Stockton 4

Fri. Dec. 16 Idaho 6 at Stockton 2

Sat. Dec. 17 Idaho 5 at Stockton 4

Tue. Jan. 24 Stockton 4 at Idaho 1

Wed. Jan. 25 Stockton 0 at Idaho 1

Fri. Feb. 3 Idaho 2 at Stockton 7

Sat. Feb. 4 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 17 Idaho 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 14 Idaho 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 28 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 30 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 31 at Idaho 6:10 p.m.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 7 - IDH 2 (2/3/12): Garet Hunt combined with linemates Kevin Baker and Chris Doyle for a ten point effort to help the Stockton Thunder (23-18-4, 50 points) rout the Idaho Steelheads in a 7-2 victory before a crowd of 6,170 at Stockton Arena on Friday. The Thunder, who collected their eighth win in the last nine games (8-1-0) and ran their season long win streak to five straight games, scored six unanswered goals and helped goaltender Alex Stalock improve to 5-0-0 in five games with a 29 save effort. Doyle scored a goal and added three assists for a career high tying four point effort.

STK 4 - BAK 1 (2/1/12): Goaltender Olivier Roy earned a career high 55 saves and Chris Doyle scored a pair of goals to lead a wire to wire effort by the Stockton Thunder (22-18-4, 48 points), dispatching the Bakersfield Condors in a 4-1 victory at Rabobank Arena on Wednesday. Roy came one save shy of Jake Moreland's all time Thunder single game save record, stopping all 38 shots he faced through two periods. The Thunder won their fourth game in a row - a season high - and jumped to one point back of Colorado for fourth place in the Western Conference.

STK 2 - AK 1 (1/29/12): Goaltender Alex Stalock made a season high 38 saves and Jordan Fulton broke a 1-1 tie on a game winning goal with 16:07 remaining in regulation to lift the Stockton Thunder (21-18-4, 46 points) to a 2-1 victory over the Alaska Aces at Stockton Arena on Sunday. The win, which helped the Thunder improve to 6-1-1 at home since Dec. 30 and become the first team to hand the Aces a three game sweep this season, gave Stalock a 4-0-0 record since his return from injury. Milan Kytnar scored the first goal of the game and the Thunder captured sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference.

UPCOMING MILESTONES

- Matt Thomas is 6 wins away from 300 in his professional coaching career

- Kevin Baker is 17 goals away from 200 in his professional career

- Matt Foy is 5 points away from 200 in his professional career

NOTE OF THE NIGHT

The Thunder has proven to be unbeatable when taking the lead after an intermission at home this season. In 2011-12, they are 8-0-0 when holding the lead after the first and second period. Last night, the Thunder surrendered the first goal of the game in the first period but answered with three goals in 2:46 to take a 3-1 lead after one period.

NOTE OF THE NIGHT - PART II

This season, the Thunder has boasted a record of 13-6-2 when playing in the second game of a "back to back" or in a "three game in three day" scenario. The last Thunder win in that situation came on Sunday, when they defeated Alaska, 2-1 at Stockton Arena.

THUNDER BOOMING AGAIN

In the last ten games, the Thunder have blasted through with 42 goals, including seven in a 7-2 victory over Idaho last night where they poured 40 shots on goal and had six goals through two periods. In the game, the Thunder came within two goals of tying a Thunder record of nine goals set in one game (Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield). Additionally, Stockton has combined for 19 goals in the last four home games.

GOAL ORIENTED

Thunder right winger Kevin Baker was signed as a free agent on Aug. 24 and brings a wealth of offensive accomplishments to the Thunder roster. He was named ECHL Most Valuable Player in 2008-09 and his 57 goals that season were most in the league since 2000-01. He ranks third in ECHL all-time goal scoring (since 2006-07) with 171 goals. On Dec. 10 vs. Bakersfield, he collected his first hat trick of the season.

MOST GOALS, ECHL (SINCE 2006-07)

Rank Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1 Wes Goldie AK 450 441 266 175 3

2 Mark Derlago IDH 281 340 174 166 41

3 Kevin Baker STK 311 348 171 177 17

4 Ryan Kinasewich UTA 205 292 131 161 -4

5 Marty Flichel IDH 382 358 131 227 -8

** Statistics include regular season and playoffs

HUNTING DOWN A MILESTONE

Thunder left winger Garet Hunt has surpassed Mark Adamek as the club's career leader in games played. Hunt is in his fourth season as a member of the Thunder and last season, was named the team's "Unsung Hero" and "Fan Favorite." This season, he was named alternate captain on Oct. 13. He played in his 200th career game with the Thunder on Dec. 16 vs. Idaho.

ALL-TIME THUNDER GAMES PLAYED

Player GP

1. Garet Hunt 216

2. Mark Adamek 186

3. Adam Huxley 183

4. Mike Lalonde 182

5. Daryl Marcoux 166

THUNDER CROWDS ROLL IN

An exclusive club, the Thunder averaged over 6,000 fans per game and drew over 200,000 fans for the sixth straight year in 2010-11, ranking second in ECHL in attendance with 6,382 fans per game. Stockton has 17 sellouts in the team's franchise history. They welcomed 12 crowds of 7,000 or more at Stockton Arena last season and had its highest attendance since 2007-08, a six percent increase from 2009-10. This season, the Thunder has welcome ten crowds of 6,000 or more to Stockton Arena and drew a season high 9,012 fans on Nov. 5 vs. Utah.

The Thunder is second in ECHL attendance with an average of 5,789 fans per game.

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