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Thunder uses third period blitz to reduce playoff magic number to 1

March 10, 2011 - ECHL (ECHL)
Stockton Thunder News Release


WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah - Captain Craig Valette scored a pair of goals, Ryan Constant collected three points (1g-2a) and goaltender Bryan Pitton's 32 stops boosted the Stockton Thunder (30-21-9, 69 points) to a 5-1 victory over the Utah Grizzlies before a crowd of 2,776 at Maverik Center on Wednesday night.

For the first time in team history, the Thunder won four straight games at Utah in one season and used three unanswered goals in span of 5:38 to break open a 2-1 lead. The Thunder received some help as well with Idaho defeating Ontario, 6-3, reducing its magic number to 1 to clinch a Kelly Cup Playoff berth.

The Thunder can clinch on Friday with a win, a loss in overtime or shootout, or with an Ontario loss to Las Vegas.

"I liked our effort from the first period to all the way through tonight," said Thunder head coach Matt Thomas. "It was as complete of a game we sought out to play and did a nice job of focusing on doing the little things well. Our special teams stepped up, did a great job on the kill and buried two power play goals which was a big difference."

Jordan Fulton and Jordan Foreman also had a goal and a fight each, part of four that spotted the game. It started at the opening faceoff when Jesse Gimblett traded punches with Ryley Grantham.

Foreman's power play goal broke a scoreless tie with 9:20 left in the first period, when Jarrett Konkle found him in the slot with a pass from behind the net. Foreman lined up a wrist shot and beat Tyler Sims over the blocker for his fourth goal of the year.

Pitton, making his fourth straight start, made nine saves, including a close-range, wraparound attempt by Paul McIlveen in the middle of the period.

Fulton hiked the lead to 2-0 on the Thunder's second power play goal of the game, taking a cross-ice feed from Jarrett Konkle off the boards and converted the pass into a break down the right wing. He deked Sims to the stick side and tucked a forehand bid into the net.

Pitton stopped 11 shots, including a backdoor pass to McIlveen that Pitton ricocheted away with his left shoulder.

Grantham got Utah back in the game just 1:48 into the third period when he snuck a wrist shot past Pitton from the slot for his second goal of the year. However, the Thunder stormed back with their three-goal rally, beginning with Valette's first of two goals with 12:30 remaining.

After Sims stopped Garet Hunt on a wraparound at the right post, Valette crashed the net and buried a rebound for his sixth goal of the year and a 3-1 lead.

Just 1:40 later, Constant took Fraser Clair's pass on the tape at the right point and blistered a slap shot by Sims for his ninth goal of the season and a 4-1 Thunder lead.

After Sims was lifted for backup goaltender Shane Connelly, Valette put the finishing touches on the score with his second of the game by connecting on a give-and-go off the rush with Hunt. He tapped Hunt's feed past Connelly's blocker with 6:52 left for a four-goal advantage.

Sims was dealt the loss with 39 stops.

NOTES: The Thunder scratched Chase Ryan (healthy), Bretton Cameron (healthy) and Cameron Brodie (healthy) ‚¬Â¦ Stockton scored two power play goals for the first time since Feb. 18, when they defeated Victoria, 8-1 ‚¬Â¦ Valette has scored three goals in the last two games ‚¬Â¦ Stockton's 47 shots on goal set a new season high and they outshot Utah, 47-33 ‚¬Â¦ the Thunder improved to 6-2-0 in the head-to-head series over Utah.

The Thunder returns for its next game on Friday, visiting the Utah Grizzlies at Maverik Center at 6:05 p.m. The game can be heard on radio at 1280 KWSX (coverage subject to change) and viewed live on the internet (pay-per-view video charge) at www.StocktonThunder.com, courtesy of AmericaOne.

A two-time recipient of the ECHL "Award of Excellence," Thunder was voted "Best Local Sports Team" by readers of the San Joaquin Magazine, led the ECHL in attendance for four consecutive seasons and drew over 200,000 fans for the fifth consecutive season in 2009-10. Season Tickets, mini-plans and individual tickets for 2010-11 are on sale now. For more information about tickets, merchandise, or other inquiries contact the Stockton Thunder offices at (209) 373-1500 or visit http://www.stocktonthunder.com/.

THREE STARS

1. STK - 22 Ryan Constant

2. STK - 14 Craig Valette

3. STK - 31 Bryan Pitton

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