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Thunder Take on the Aces in Alaska at 8:15 p.m.

February 6, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


The Thunder look to start a win streak tonight when the team takes on the Alaska Aces at Sullivan Arena to kick off a three-in-three

Arena: Sullivan Arena

Date: Friday, February 6

Time: 8:15 p.m. PST

Broadcast: ECHL.TV and Spreaker beginning at 8:00 p.m. PST

This Season's Record: Stockton is 2-5-1-0 vs. Alaska

Follow the Thunder Facebook Page for occasional updates or follow @StocktonThunder on Twitter for the play-by-play tweeting!

Last Time vs. Alaska

Despite Austin Levi scoring just before the 2:00 mark in the game, Chris Francis and Olivier Archambault would respond and take the 2-1 lead into the dressing room after 20 minutes.

In the second, Peter Sivak scored within the first minute to tie the game up before Shawn Boutin scored to take the lead.

It would stay that way until Quinn Sproule tied the game at three just past the midway mark of the third. Then it turned into the Sebastian Collberg show as the winger roofed a puck past Niklas Lundstrom and took the lead the lead back for the Thunder.

Tyler Shattock added an empty netter as the Thunder won 5-3.

Tonight

Having snapped an 11-game losing streak at the very end of January with a win over the Utah Grizzlies, the Thunder look to build upon the momentum as the team takes on the Alaska Aces in Anchorage.

Of course playing the Aces in Anchorage is no easy task, what with the cowbells and the large, olympic-sized ice surface, Sullivan Arena provides a great home-ice advantage for a team that has already beaten the Thunder three times on home ice.

Brendan Connolly leads the way in points against the Thunder with 3 goals and 11 assists in 8 games played against Stockton. On the Thunder side, it's James Henry and his 1 goal and 10 assists that lead the way in production against Alaska.

Who to Watch

The gut feeling has to be pointing toward the way of Vinny Scarsella, who is quickly making new fans in Stockton.

After being acquired in mid-January for Ryan Hayes, Scarsella has gotten into four contests for the Thunder, and while he was held pointless in his first two, he came back and now has a two-game point streak going having scored 2 goals and adding an assist.

Even though it took him to his third game to score, Scarsella has shown why Coach Kromm had so much faith in him, even in his first shift for the team.

The speedy winger from Western New York gets down the ice quick, but gets back in defensive position even quicker, with a swift and relentless backcheck the likes we haven't seen since Matt Bergland was a member of the Thunder.

And while Scarsella seems to be a good choice credit must also be given to another to watch out today, #11 J.T. Barnett.

Barnett is riding the hottest point streak of his career, four games with an assist coming in each contest.

Barnett's assists haven't just been secondary markers, or assists relying on his teammates to make amazing plays.

Flashback a few games ago when the Thunder tried to rapidly comeback on the Colorado Eagles at home, and while the team fell just shy, one goal that helped get everything going was a no-look, behind-the-back pass from Barnett to Tyler Shattock that ended up behind the Colorado keeper.

The pass was a thing of beauty, as has the man who's been making those passes. So tonight, watch out for those two, because they are hot right now.

All-Time Watch

We're monitoring the situation between Garet Hunt, Ryan Constant and Mike Lalonde as Lalonde's all-time lead in points could be in danger of falling to one of the Thunder's star players soon.

Lalonde's 156 career points is in jeopardy as Constant pulled ahead with 151 points with the Thunder while Hunt is right behind them both with 149.

That means Constant is just 5 points back of tying the record while Hunt is 7 points back of tying the record. Both players have missed time due to injuries this season as Hunt missed 11 games while Constant was placed on Injured Reserve on December 14.

Hunt is the only one close to Lalonde's all-time record of 72 goals with his 57 markers, putting the Thunder captain 15 shy of tying the record.

Reichard's Show

With Kent Simpson reassigned by the Islanders to the AHL, it means it's time for Cody Reichard to once again take the team's destiny into his hands.

The Celina, Ohio native will see guaranteed action tonight as Coach Kromm has elected to bring in a local emergency backup goaltender, who can only enter the game on an emergency, injury, basis.

Reichard has played 238 minutes for the Thunder and is coming off of his first win back with the team. He went 13-8-5 with a shutout in 2012-13 with the Thunder before being dealt to the Florida Everblades, whom he'd never see action with.

Welcome to the Thunder!

There have been a number of changes this week for the Thunder including bringing in three new players.

J.P. Chabot joins the team ahead of this trip to Alaska after being acquired by the Thunder for futures earlier this week from the Rapid City Rush.

The former Rush player suited up in 32 games for the Rush and scored 6 of his 8 goals on the power play. He also has added an assist this season with the Rush.

The Quebec City native played the last three seasons in the former Central Hockey League with the Arizona Sundogs and Denver Cutthroats and in that span he scored 20 goals twice. He also was a captain of his Gatineau Olympicques team for his final two seasons in the QMJHL.

One of the other new players is Bryon Paulazzo who was signed earlier this morning by the Thunder and will in fact be available tonight.

Paulazzo is the second California kid on the Thunder roster, joining leading goal scorer Tyler Maxwell as the two players on the Thunder roster from California.

The Redwood City, California native is in his first season out of college, signing with the Souther Professional Hockey League's Mississippi RiverKings. In 35 games played, Paulazzo has scored 6 goals and added 16 assists.

Paulazzo also has played with two current Thunder players as he spent a season with Adam Phillips in the USHL with the Indiana Ice in 2009-10 and then played with Cody Reichard at Miami University (OH) in 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Streaks on the Line Tonight

J.T. Barnett is on a four-game assist streak (0-4-4).

Keith Seabrook has a two-game assist streak (0-2-2).

Vinny Scarsella is on a two-game point streak (2-1-3). He also has goals in back-to-back games.

Interesting Fact

John Ryder has eclipsed his previous career high when he scored last Saturday against Utah for his second goal of the season.

Ryder scored his first ever ECHL and pro goal for the Ontario Reign last season. He scored his first goal for the Thunder on December 31st's Painted Classic and added his second goal on January 31st's win over the Grizzlies.



ECHL Stories from February 6, 2015


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