Thunder, Scorpions pile up the goals
January 17, 2005 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Wichita Thunder News Release
THUNDER POUND SCORPIONS- The Thunder jumped out to a 4-0 lead and hung on for a 9-6 victory Friday night at New Mexico. Joe Blaznek led the Thunder with four goals and six points, while Jason Duda added six assists. Travis Clayton added two goals, while Mike Carter, Tyler Liebel and Paul Esdale each added a goal, making a winner out of rookie goaltender Jason Flick. Flick, now 10-2-1, has won his last five starts, and has not lost in regulation since November 30th at Tulsa.
SCORPIONS POUND THUNDER- The Thunder fought back from 2-0 and 4-2 deficits to take a 5-4 third period lead, however; the Scorpions scored four unanswered goals for an 8-6 victory on Saturday Night. Blaznek again led the Thunder with two goals and five points, while Clayton added two goals and four points. Duda and Derek Parker also scored goals for the Thunder.
THUNDER FINALLY FALL FROM FIRST- Despite going an amazing 13-2-1 in their last 16 games since December 11th, the Thunder have finally yielded first place in the CHL Northwest Division to the Colorado Eagles. Colorado has played 18 games in that same time frame, going 15-2-1, including seven straight victories. Ironically two of Colorado's three losses over that span have been to the Thunder, who are 3-2-0 versus the Eagles this season. The two teams will meet just twice more this season, including a huge game in Colorado on Friday. The Thunder, one points behind the Eagles, have been out of first place for a total of just six days this season (November 19th, December 8-10 and today).
ROAD WARRIORS- Friday night's win at New Mexico was Wichita's seventh consecutive road victory, tying the franchise-record for the longest road winning-streak. Ironically, the Thunder started this season with seven straight road wins, breaking the previous record of six, set all the way back in the 1994-95 season. The Thunder have a CHL-best road record of 14-4-0. With 12 road games remaining, the Thunder needs seven more to break the single-season franchise-record of 20, set in both the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
THUNDER TRIO SHINES IN ALL-STAR GAME- Travis Clayton, Jason Duda and Paul Esdale all played a huge part in the Northern Conference's 14-13 victory in the 2005 Dodge CHL All-Star Game last week in Laredo, TX. Esdale scored the first goal of the game, while Clayton scored the next two goals for the North. Esdale finished the game with two points and a CHL All-Star Game record +8 rating. Clayton finished with three points, while Duda chipped in two assists.
RED-HOT DUDA- Veteran Jason Duda continued his stellar play this weekend with nine assists and 10 points in two games, extending his scoring streak to 11 straight games, including nine straight multiple-point games. Duda, who had a CHL season-high six assists on Friday, is also riding a 10-game assist streak, the longest streak in the CHL this season. A ninth-year pro, Duda has already matched his point total from last season, with a league-leading 66 points. He also leads the CHL with a plus/minus rating of +27 and 47 assists, 10 more than the next closest player, Travis Clayton.
GOAL SCORING MACHINE CLAYTON- Speaking of Clayton, he too had a big weekend, notching four goals and eight points in two games, including his 600th career point. Clayton, who ranks second in the CHL with 63 points and 37 assists, is riding a CHL season-high 17-game scoring streak. With goals in both games this weekend, he extended his goal-scoring streak to a CHL season-high 10 games, tying Brent Sapergia's Thunder record, set all the way back in the 1993-94 season. The CHL record is 13. Clayton also leads the CHL with 11 power play goals and seven game-winning goals.
SMOKIN' JOE- While Duda and Clayton have been piling up the points, no CHL player may be hotter then Joe Blaznek. Blaznek picked up a whopping six goals and 11 points in two games this weekend, including a CHL season-high six points on Friday. With 17 goals in his last 16 games, Blaznek has jumped all the way to 11th place in the CHL, with 41 points.
11 + 38 + 14 = 170- After breaking down the amazing individual accomplishments of Duda, Clayton and Blaznek, it may be even harder to comprehend their statistics when added all together. During Wichita's hot streak, which has seen the Thunder go 13-2-1 in the last 16 games, Wichita's top line has piled up unbelievable totals of 47 goals, 64 assists and 111 points, an average of three goals and seven points per game. For the season, the threesome has combined for 64 goals and 170 points, more than any other CHL trio. As a team, the Thunder leads the CHL with 129 goals and 233 assists.
DON'T FORGET ESDALE- While attention has been focused on Wichita's big three, don't forget about the amazing numbers of Thunder defenseman Paul Esdale. With a goal and two assists over the weekend, Esdale now leads all CHL defensemen with 12 goals and 33 points and ranks fourth in the entire CHL with nine power play goals. His power play goal on Friday set a new Thunder single-season record for most PP goals by a defenseman, formerly held by Dave Doucette (1995) and Brian Stacey (1998).
THUNDER KEEPS PILING UP PP CHANCES, POURING IN PP GOALS- In 35 games, the Thunder have enjoyed a total of 245 power play chances this season. The next closest team in the CHL is Memphis, with 210 power play opportunities. The Thunder now rank second in the CHL on the power play, at 20.8% and their 51 power play goals are 14 more than the next closest CHL team. Before the weekend started, New Mexico had allowed just two power play goals at home in 14 games this season. In two games, the Thunder picked up five.
THUNDERBOLTS- Rookie Derek Parker leads the CHL with 23 major penalties and 241 penalty minutes...Parker (22.2%) and Tyler Liebel (19.2%) rank one-two among all CHL rookies in shooting percentage...Mike Carter ranks 11th among all CHL rookies with 18 points...The Thunder now rank fourth in the CHL with 46 major penalties...The Thunder are 10-1-0 when they are outshot by their opponents this season...The Thunder leads the CHL with 42 first period goals and 42 third period goals...Wichita's next home game is scheduled for Thursday, January 27th at 7:00 PM versus the Corpus Christi Rayz.
COACH'S SHOW CHANGES VENUES- Left wing Jason Duda will be the guest on the Thunder TV Coach's Show, taped every Monday at 5:00 PM at Heroes in Old Town. The show will air on Saturday at Noon on Cox Cable Channel 22, sponsored by Park City. A re-broadcast of this Wednesday's game at Topeka will immediately follow the Thunder Coach's Show on Saturday.
Central Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2005
- RiverKings turn overtime fortunes around in win over New Mexico - Mississippi RiverKings
- Oakley CHL Player and Goaltender of the Week Announced - CHL
- Pig lit. character will help children's organization bring home the bacon - Mississippi RiverKings
- McIver Goes From The Valley to The Big Apple - Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
- Eagles week in review - Colorado Eagles
- Saints Back On Top Of Division - San Angelo Saints
- Over $24,000 raised on 24 Foundation jersey night - Lubbock Cotton Kings
- Bucks Weekly Will Air On Tuesday - Laredo Bucks
- Gorillas announce departure of Steve Briere to Europe - Amarillo Gorillas
- Thunder, Scorpions pile up the goals - Wichita Thunder
- RiverKings gameday preview - Mississippi RiverKings
- RiverKings Monday game moved to 96.1FM - Mississippi RiverKings
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