| Stockton
Thunder Weekly Review
February 26 – March 4
Wednesday, February 28
Long Beach Ice Dogs 5 - Stockton Thunder 3
The Thunder’s Tim Sestito scored his 12th
goal of the season just 23 seconds into to the
game but the Thunder could not prevail in a
tough game against the Ice Dogs. Newcomer Mathieu
Melanson scored his fifth goal in four games
for the Thunder early in the third period to
pull the Thunder within a goal. Long Beach scored
an empty net goal with 56 seconds left in the
game but Beau Geisler scored with 38 seconds
left to get the Thunder within a goal once again.
Long Beach iced the game for good with another
empty net goal with 22 seconds remaining in
the game. Devan Dubnyk stopped 20 of 23 shots
in the net for the Thunder. Stockton’s
leading scorer Mike Lalonde will miss 3-6 weeks
of the season after suffering a broken thumb
in the Thunder’s last game.
Friday, March 2
Cincinnati Cyclones 6 - Stockton Thunder 2
Despite out shooting Cincinnati 36-18 the Thunder
were blown out by the Cyclones before 5,859
fans at the Stockton Arena. The Thunder had
seven power plays in the second period but failed
to score. Jason Beckett opened the scoring for
the Thunder with a power play goal in the first
period. The Thunder did not score again until
the third period when Beau Geisler scored with
five minutes left in the game. Thunder goaltender
Cam Ellsworth had a rough game, allowing six
goals on just 13 shots. Devan Dubnyk replaced
Ellsworth in goal for the Thunder with 12:40
remaining in the third period.
Saturday, March 3
Cincinnati Cyclones 4 - Stockton Thunder 2
Stockton had a 2-1 lead in the second period
but Cincinnati scored one goal in the second
and two goals in the third period, including
an empty net goal, to hand the Thunder their
third straight loss before a sellout crowd of
9,737 fans at the Stockton Arena. Newcomer Brock
Radunske, an Edmonton Oilers prospect, assisted
on a Mathieu Melanson goal, his seventh goal
in six games. Tim Verbeek scored a power play
goal for the Thunder’s other goal. Devan
Dubnyk took the loss for the Thunder in the
nets.
Sunday, March 4
Long Beach Ice Dogs 4 - Stockton Thunder 3
Long Beach scored three consecutive goals, two
in the third period, to hand Stockton it’s
fourth straight loss and third straight loss
on their current home stand. Newcomers Brock
Radunske, who scored two goals and an assist,
and Mathieu Melanson, who scored his eighth
goal in his first seven games, provided all
of the offensive punch for the Thunder. Radunske
scored just 29 seconds into the game, with assists
from Melanson and Nathan Martz, to give the
Thunder an early lead. Melanson and Radunske
scored in the second period to give the Thunder
a 3-1 lead. Devan Dubnyk faced 37 shots on goal
in the net for the Thunder.
Stockton Thunder Weekly Review February 4 -
February 11
Tuesday, February 6
Stockton Thunder 2 – Phoenix RoadRunners
1 (OT)
Mike Lalonde scored his 19th and 20th goals
of the season, including a power play game winner
at 1:49 of overtime, to lead the Thunder to
a 2-1 victory over Phoenix. Lalonde’s
game winner came off a pass by defensemen Beau
Geisler. Lalonde tied the score at 9:46 of the
second period with an assist from center Nathan
Martz. The Thunder killed off a double-minor
penalty that gave Phoenix a one-man advantage
for the final four minutes of regulation. Goalkeeper
Cam Ellsworth ended a personal nine-game winless
streak by stopping 29 shots for the Thunder.
Friday, February 9
Bakersfield Condors 2 - Stockton Thunder 1 (OT)
Nathan Martz scored with 3:34 left in the game
to avoid the first shutout in Stockton history
to earn a point for the Thunder. Martz scored
his first goal since December 1st to tie the
game in front of 6,876 fans at the Rabobank
Arena in Bakersfield. Cam Ellsworth had 37 saves
in the net for the Thunder. The Stockton franchise
has not been shutout in 115 games.
Sunday, February 11
Las Vegas 2 – Stockton Thunder 1
The Stockton Thunder avoided their second straight
near shutout with a late third period goal,
but lost to the Las Vegas Wranglers before a
crowd of 7,922 at the Stockton Arena. Mike Lalonde
scored with 45.4 seconds left in the game to
avoid the shutout. Tim Verbeek and Tim O’Connell
assisted on the goal. Devan Dubnyk faced 24
shots in his return from a four game stint with
the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
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