Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Las Vegas Wranglers

Published on March 28, 2010 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder and Las Vegas Wranglers meet at Stockton Arena for the final time this season. Through the lifetime series, the Thunder is 9-21-1 against the Wranglers and is 4-1-0 in the regular season in the last five games in Stockton. The last time both teams met, the Wranglers defeated the Thunder, 3-2 at Stockton Arena last night. Today's game completes the final of six matchups between both teams. The Thunder magic number is 5 to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth.

LAST 3 THUNDER GAMES

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.

STK 3 - LV 2 (SO) (3/26/10): Goaltender Andrew Perugini made 19 saves, including all three in a shootout, to help guide the Thunder to a 3-2 shootout victory over the Pacific Division rival Las Vegas Wranglers, before 5,717 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday. James Bates and Igor Gongalsky scored for the Thunder while Oren Eizenman put the game away with a shootout winner in the fourth round, firing a snap shot past Jimmy Spratt to the stick side. Additional shootout goals included Kelly Czuy (second round) and newcomer Matt Marquardt (third round).

UTA 5 - STK 2 (3/21/10): Vlady Nikiforov scored a goal and added two assists while goaltending prospect Mikko Koskinen stopped 37 shots to help the Utah Grizzlies send the Thunder to a 5-2 defeat before a crowd of 5,432 at Stockton Arena on Sunday. The Thunder, who maintained a tie for fifth place in the conference with the idle Las Vegas Wranglers, suffered just their fourth loss in regulation in the last 21 home games (13-4-4). Chris D'Alvise and James Bates scored for the Thunder, while Tim Crowder chipped in with a pair of goals for the Grizzlies, who took the regular season series from Stockton (7-2-1).

GONE TO THE DOGS

The Stockton Thunder will host the inaugural Carter's Pet Mart presents "Pucks and Paws" event today at Stockton Arena. A special home game event geared to celebrate and combine hockey with pet lovers, the Thunder is offering special ticket packages ($10 to all fans and $5 per dog ) and events during the game for all fans in attendance who own and bring a dog to the game. Ticket packages also include free admission to a special pet fair and adoption event on the "Fan Deck" of Stockton Arena, featuring various pet vendor booths offering complimentary pet food and other samples, nearby special seating to accommodate owners and dogs attending the game.

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 17 points (6g-11a) in the last ten games.

THUNDER CROWDS ROLLING IN

The Thunder ranks third in the ECHL in attendance with an average of 5,982 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.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

Thunder head coach Matt Thomas and former Thunder and Fresno Falcons assistant coach Ryan Mougenel, now head coach for Las Vegas, meet in the series for the sixth time since Mougenel was named Wranglers head coach before the 2009-10 season. As a part of Thomas' bench, the Thunder advanced to the second round for the first time in club history last year and he previously helped Fresno post two 40-win seasons, including a 43-15-14 record in 2005-06 where the Falcons surpassed the 100-point mark and advanced to the National Conference Finals for the first time in club history. Additionally, Thunder forward J.F. Caudron faced Mougenel for the first time since the two were teammates in Atlantic City during the 2002-03 Kelly Cup title run. Thunder forward Kelly Czuy, who previously suited up for Las Vegas for three seasons (2006-09), also faced his former team in last night's game. Las Vegas forwards Josh Prudden (2006-09) and Kyle Hagel (08-09), defenseman Mat Deschamps (05-06) and goaltender Michael Ouzas (08-09) played for Thomas as former Fresno Falcons.

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 43points (18g-25a) in 33games and has a +14 rating. Bates currently leads the Thunder and is tied for 17th in league scoring with 63 points (25g-38a), 38 assists and has set a new career-high with 25 goals.

ECHL LEADERS - SCORING (since Jan. 15)

Player Team GP PTS G A +/-

1. Tyler Donati Elmira Jackals 32 61 25 36 17

2. Mark Derlago Idaho Steelheads 31 59 27 32 22

3. Adam Miller Las Vegas Wranglers 32 50 21 29 5

4. Ryan Kinasewich Utah Grizzlies 26 44 20 24 0

5. James Bates Stockton Thunder 33 43 18 25 14

20 AND OVER ADMITTED

A growing club this season that just set franchise high, five different players with 20 goals in one season adorn the roster, tying 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 30 goals (3rd, ECHL rookies), Colin Hemingway has 24goals (one off his career-high) to rank fourth and Matt Robinson has 25 goals (new career-high) to rank third. James Bates' 26 goals are also a career-high. The Thunder are looking for their first pair of 30-goal scorers in club 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 30

James Bates 26

Matt Robinson 25

Colin Hemingway 24 Oren Eizenman 20

* Denotes Thunder record

'GINI IN A BOTTLE

Goaltender Andrew Perugini, who is tied for second inECHL save percentage (.910) and is ninth in the ECHL in goals-against-average (2.89), became the Thunder career shutout leader (4) on Feb. 12 and 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 5 regular season games remaining.

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

Las Vegas (1) Bakersfield (2) 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 Bakersfield Condors in the National Conference Quarterfinal.

- Currently, 76 points guarantees a playoff spot as the 8th place Ontario Reign can only amass 76 points this season. The Thunder wins the tie-breaker with Ontario for the final playoff spot.

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

- 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)

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