by Jeffrey Lutz
The Wichita Eagle
The Thunder had more new feelings than just playing in the CHL finals for the first time since 1998, but the thrill of the first foray into the final round was overwhelmed by other uncharted territory that wasn’t as welcoming.
Wichita hadn’t lost at home during the playoffs, nor had it fallen behind in either of its previous postseason series, but Fort Wayne ended those streaks with a 5-3 win on Saturday night in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Intrust Bank Arena.
The Thunder rallied from a pair of two-goal deficits but couldn’t completely erase its sluggish start. Wichita hadn’t been outplayed in the playoffs as thoroughly as it was for most of Saturday’s game, nor had goalie Adam Russo delivered an unproductive performance in front of friendly fans.
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