Game Preview: Stockton Thunder Vs. Utah Grizzlies

February 5, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder faces the Utah Grizzlies for the seventh meeting of this season tonight at Stockton Arena. The Thunder is 16-18-3, lifetime against Utah and 4-2-0 in the head-to-head series. The last meeting between both teams was last night, when Utah defeated Stockton, 2-1 at Stockton Arena behind Andrew Engelage ‚¬â„¢s 27 saves. The Thunder is currently 10-7-4 at home this season and will wear jerseys of their co-NHL affiliate, the San Jose Sharks tonight. Both teams have combined for over 300 minutes in penalties during the series.

LAST THREE GAMES:

UTA 2 ‚¬" STK 1 (2/4/11): Andrew Engelage denied two last-minute, game tying attempts by Jarrett Konkle and Jim McKenzie to preserve a 27-save effort and help the Utah Grizzlies defeat the Thunder, 2-1, before 4,888 fans at Stockton Arena on Friday night. The Thunder, who wore authentic teal jerseys of the San Jose Sharks in salute to their co-NHL affiliate, fell in regulation for only the second time in the head-to-head series (4-2-0). Jesse Gimblett scored a power-play goal in the second period, Stockton ‚¬â„¢s only marker, answered by Brett Parnham ‚¬â„¢s game-winning goal with 3:50 gone in the third period.

LV 6 ‚¬" STK 2 (2/1/11): Ryan Huddy and Blake Gallagher each scored a pair of goals to help the Las Vegas Wranglers defeat the Thunder, 6-2, before an announced crowd of 2,298 at Orleans Arena on Tuesday night. The Thunder, who surrendered the first four goals of the game in the opening 15 minutes of play, fell to 2-14-1 lifetime at Orleans Arena and picked up a goal each from Jordan Bendfeld (his first in the regular season since 2008-09) and Jim McKenzie. Joe Fallon earned his third win in the head-to-head series, stopping 39 shots.

STK 5 ‚¬" IDH 4 (SO) (1/30/11): Goaltender Tyson Sexsmith made 31 stops, including a seventh round stop on Aki Seitsonen to preserve a comeback win for the Thunder, 5-4 in a shootout, over Idaho before 6,082 fans at Stockton Arena on Sunday. The Thunder, who became the first team to hand Idaho a defeat when leading after two periods, were helped out with goals from Fraser Clair, Garet Hunt, Jordan Fulton and a game-tying goal in the third period from Jarrett Konkle.

SEASON SERIES (Thunder is 4-2-0)

Fri. Nov. 26 Utah 3 at Stockton 2

Sat. Dec. 11 Utah 2 at Stockton 3

Fri. Jan. 14 Stockton 4 at Utah 2

Sat. Jan. 15 Stockton 4 at Utah 1

Mon. Jan. 17 Stockton 6 at Utah 3

Fri. Feb. 4 Utah 2 at Stockton 1

Sat. Feb. 5 Utah 7:30 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 9 at Utah 6:05 p.m.

Fri. Mar. 11 at Utah 6:05 p.m.

Sat. Mar. 12 at Utah 6:05 p.m.

Sun. Mar. 13 at Utah 3:05 p.m.

UPCOMING MILESTONES:

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

· Jim McKenzie is 4 games away from 200 in his professional career

THUNDER GONE TEAL

Saluting the growing co-affiliation with the San Jose Sharks, the Thunder will wear teal home jerseys of the Sharks, just like the ones donned at HP Pavilion at San Jose, for this weekend ‚¬â„¢s games against Utah. The Thunder will host a live ‚¬Å“Jersey Off Our Back ‚¬Â auction immediately following tonight ‚¬â„¢s game, where all fans are invited to bid on each game-worn jersey by the Thunder players, which will be facilitated on the ice of Stockton Arena. The two clubs signed an affiliation agreement on Aug. 2, 2010. As hockey neighbors 80 miles apart, both clubs also share similar honors in sports and entertainment. The Thunder is a two-time recipient of the ECHL ‚¬Å“Award of Excellence, ‚¬Â and San Jose finished as the 12th best overall franchise in ESPN ‚¬â„¢s ‚¬Å“Ultimate Standings ‚¬Â last year. Both teams advanced to their league ‚¬â„¢s Conference Finals last year.

CROWDING OUT THE ECHL A whopping crowd of 9,482 piled into Stockton Arena on Jan. 22 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 helped keep the Thunder in second for ECHL attendance, attracting an average of 6,198 fans per game, through 21 home games. The Thunder led the ECHL in attendance last year with an average of 6,218 fans through 36 home games. Stockton has 15 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).

HAPPY NEW YEAR

The Thunder capped the month of January with a record of 10-5-1, ending the first month of the new year in second place in the Pacific Division. In total, the Thunder had two weekend, three-game series sweeps (Utah and Ontario) and won eight consecutive games, their longest win streak of the season (Jan. 8-23).Stockton scored 51 goals, averaging 3.2 per game. Goaltender Bryan Pitton ran a record of 7-2-1 during the month, returning from Oklahoma City of the AHL.

CHIP ON THEIR SHOULDER

The Thunder enters the game with 71major penalties, leading the ECHL. Additionally, their average of 22.6 penalty minutes ranks third in the ECHL, eclipsed only by Bakersfield ‚¬â„¢s average of 23.1 and Utah ‚¬â„¢s average of 23.6 per game. Individually, the Thunder is led by Garet Hunt, who has 109 penalty minutes. Six players on the Thunder have registered 60 penalty minutes or more 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, a season high, ending Feb. 1 at Las Vegas.

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) * 363

2. Malcolm Cameron (four teams) * 315

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

4. Matt Thomas (Stockton, Fre, A.C.) * 255

5. Glen Gulutzan (Las Vegas) 254

* Currently ECHL active



ECHL Stories from February 5, 2011


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