Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Ontario Reign

Published on January 21, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


Completing 15 of the previous 19 games on the road, the Thunder return home tonight with a five game winning streak to face the Ontario Reign for three games in three days, starting with the first two at Stockton Arena before the series shifts to Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Thunder is 2-1-1 against Ontario this season and in the last meeting, the Thunder defeated Ontario, 3-2 in a shootout at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Oct. 23. Through 23 regular season games in the all-time series, the Thunder is 13-9-2 against Ontario. Stockton has combined for 13 goals in the first four games.

LAST THREE GAMES:

STK 6 - UTA 3 (1/17/11): Defenseman Ryan Constant scored a pair of goals, including his second of the game to break a 3-3 tie with 2:08 left in regulation, to help lift the Thunder to their fifth straight win, 6-3, over the Utah Grizzlies before 2,739 fans at Maverik Center on Monday. The Thunder, who improved to 6-1-0 in the last seven games and swept Utah on the road for the first time since the 2006-07 season, jumped back to second place in the Pacific Division and tied for fourth in the Western Conference. In helping battle back from a 3-1 deficit, Fraser Clair netted a three point game (1g-2a) and P.A. Bureau, Bretton Cameron and Steve Vanoosten also chipped in with a goal each.

STK 4 - UTA 1 (1/15/11): A total of 12 fighting majors and 149 total penalty minutes highlighted a game where Thunder led wire-to-wire, cruising to 5-1-0 in the last six games and a 4-1 victory over the Utah Grizzlies at Maverik Center on Saturday. The entire five-on-five lineup combined for 68 penalty mintutes and four fighting majors on the opening faceoff. In between all of the scraps, the Thunder, who skated with an original lineup of just 15 skaters and went with 14 after the Gimblett ejection, got the eventual game-winner from P.A. Bureau in the first period, spotting additional goals from Bretton Cameron, Daryl Marcoux and Ryan Constant.

STK 4 - BAK 2 (1/14/11): Rookie winger Bretton Cameron collected a goal, assist and a fight for a ‚¬Å“Gordie Howe Hat Trick, ‚¬Â headlining nine different teammates who collected points to guide the Thunder to a 4-2 victory over the Utah Grizzlies before 3,123 fans at Maverik Center on Friday. The Thunder, who improved to 2-1-0 in the head-to-head series with Utah, holding the best record in the Western Conference to enter the game, had Garet Hunt pitch in with a power-play goal, Jesse Gimblett contribute with a game-winner in the third period, and Jim McKenzie finish with an empty-netter. Goaltender Bryan Pitton made 32 saves to improve to 11-4-3 with the win.

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

�- Ryan Constant is 1 point away from 200 in his professional career

�- Ryan Constant is 11 games away from 300 in his professional career

�- Jim McKenzie is 12 games away from 200 in his professional career

SEASON SERIES (Thunder is 2-1-1)

Fri. Oct. 15 Ontario 6 at Stockton 3

Sat. Oct. 16 Ontario 5 at Stockton 4 (OT)

Fri. Oct. 22 Ontario 1 at Stockton 3

Sat. Oct. 23 Stockton 3 at Ontario 2 (SO)

Fri. Jan. 21 Ontario 7:30 p.m.

Sat. Jan. 22 Ontario 7:30 p.m.

Sun. Jan. 23 at Ontario 5:00 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 9 at Ontario 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Feb. 16 at Ontario 7:00 p.m.

Sun. Feb. 27 at Ontario 5:00 p.m.

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 the Idaho Steelheads.

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 four 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

5. Matt Thomas (Stockton, Fre, A.C.) * 251

* Currently ECHL active

BETTER WITH BRETTON

Bretton Cameron has taken the lead in Thunder goal scoring (13), collecting nine goals in his last nine games. His seven point assault (3g-4a) last week in three games against Bakersfield and Utah was enough to earn Sher-wood Hockey ECHL Player of the Week honors. In a 5-3 Thunder win vs. Bakersfield, he had a career-high four points (1g-3a) then followed with a ‚¬Å“Gordie Howe Hat Trick ‚¬Â (goal, assist, fight) in last Friday's 4-2 win at Utah. Last season, he topped career-highs in goals (40), points (67) and penalty minutes (119) in 68 games in 2009-10 with Medicine Hat of the Western Hockey League.



ECHL Stories from January 21, 2011


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