STOCKTON, Calif. – Despite scoring four goals in the third period, the Stockton Thunder could not finish the comeback, losing to the Colorado Eagles with a final score of 5-4. The third game in as many days against the Eagles have been tough on the Thunder, which have reached a record 11 straight losses.
Thunder coach Rich Kromm is confident that their team is on the right track and heading back to the win column, albeit that didn’t happen tonight.
“We were together as five-man unit in the third and we were getting the pucks before them, for a change. The defense making shots on the net; D’s were more active, keeping pucks down, and the forwards were supporting it,” said Kromm when asked to sum up the changes in the final 20 minutes of tonight game.
Most of the team is looking for that special recipe to help them break out of this slump.
“I think we might have gained some confidence; we scored four goals against a really good team. We’ll just have to see how it goes,” said Vinny Scarsella. “We have to stay positive. Things are going to turn around sooner or later. We have a good team in that locker room. The hockey gods haven’t been on our side here, but I think they are going to start turning around.”
Beginning Friday night, the Thunder hosted the Eagles at the Stockton Arena. The Thunder had come off a 12 day break. But the rest did not help, as they fell 4-2 to the Eagles. Tyler Maxwell and Austin Levi scored the only two goals of the game. Kent Simpson in the Thunder net faced 21 shots in the loss.
Trent Daavettila Derek Rodwell, Colin Joe and Kyle Kraemer scored the goals for Colorado.
Lukas Sutter (28) checks Colin Joe (25) off the puck – Photo by Jack Lima
Clarke Saunders – Photo by Jack Lima
Clarke Saunders makes a save as Teigan Zahn (18) provides support – Photo by Jack Lima
Kent Simpson stops Brock Nixon on a breakaway – Photo by Jack Lima
Colorado’s netminder Clarke Saunders had a great weekend in the net, winning all three games, even earning a shutout on Saturday night in the 3-0 win.
During Saturday’s game, Stockton needed a goal in order for the fans to release their teddy bears to the ice for the annual Teddy Bear Toss promotion. The Eagles defense proved too much for the Thunder and the fans had to wait until the end of the game to send the bears over the glass.
Simpson faced 36 shots for the loss. Goals were scored by Rodwell in the second and Taylor Vause and Daavettila in the third.
Alex Mallet (19) collides with Brock Nixon (16) – Photo by Jack Lima
Clarke Saunders robs Tyler Shattock late in the game – Photo by Jack Lima
Stockton swarms the net late in the game – Photo by Jack Lima
Lukas Sutter (28) tries to get the puck loose from under Sean Ztmmerman (8) – Photo by Jack Lima
Clarke Saunders makes a save as James Henry (15) looks for the rebound – Photo by Jack Lima
Taylor Vause tries to control the puck – Photo by Jack Lima
In Sunday’s late afternoon match, the Eagles scored three goals in the first period. Vause earned a powerplay goal just over two minutes into the game. Joe scored on a rebound that Cody Reichard just couldn’t get back in position in time. Rodwell scored on a powerplay at 15:07 that trickled into the net off the pads of Reichard.
The second period was scoreless. Another early powerplay goal by the Eagle’s Collin Bowman started off the third period, which was also marred by 57 minutes in penalties.
Tiegan Zahn appeared to be trying to get Jack MacLellan to fight, but Garet Hunt jumped in to finish the match. The fight fired up the fans and Thunder bench alike.
“I was just trying to stick up for my teammate. I saw Jack in there. Knowing he’s one of our highly skilled players. I have got to defend the team as much as I can,” said team captain Garet Hunt. “I was just doing my job out there. We played right to the end and didn’t give up. It may have changed the momentum a little bit.”
The Thunder came back ready to dig out of their four goal deficit, at 9:19, Tyler Shattock scored the first Thunder goal of the game. Then Scarsella scored his first goal in a Thunder sweater, since his arrival from a trade to Utah.
But a breakaway goal that allowed Eagles’ Joe to score at 14:25 would be the ultimate game winner. Jack MacLellan and Tyler Maxwell each scored within the final minute of the game, but it just wouldn’t be enough to get them over the top.
By the end of the game, there were 123 penalty minutes assessed in all, 85 going to the Thunder. Reichard faced 38 shots in the loss, while Saunders took the win with 36 shots.
Cody Reichard stops Kyle Kreamer – Photo by Jack Lima
Taylor Vause (13) looks for the rebound as Garet Hunt (L) looks to support goalie Cody Reichard – Photo by Jack Lima
Clarke Saunders make a save on Jack MacLellan – Photo by Jack Lima
Kromm spoke about the last twenty minutes of the game, “We have to gain some confidence from that and believe that we can win” going into next weekend’s games.
About what the team could take from these last three losses and turn around their luck, Kromm added, “I thought we played some pretty good hockey through a lot of that game. We were effective. We showed that tonight. We were more aggressive. When we are together in our offensive zone play, we are more effective.”
The Thunder faces the Utah Grizzlies next Saturday.
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