Thunder Look to Start Uphill Journey Tonight


THUNDER at KOMETS

(Fort Wayne leads best-of-seven series 2-0)

Watch LIVE on CHL-TV!


GAME 3 Pre Game Notes


Series Schedule:
Game 1 – Apr. 28 FTW 5 @ WIC 3
Game 2 – Apr. 29 FTW 6 @ WIC 3
Game 3 – Thursday, May 3 WIC at FTW   (PREGAME STATS)
Game 4 – Saturday, May 5 WIC @ FTW
Game 5 – Monday, May 7 WIC @ FTW (if necessary)
Game 6 – Friday, May 11 FTW @ WIC (if necessary)
Game 7 – Saturday, May 12 FTW @ WIC (if necessary)

The Scoop: The Komets are playing their best hockey of the season right now and seemingly have the answer for whatever the Thunder throw at them.  Fort Wayne dominated Game 2, a 6-3 win that saw the Komets outscore Wichita 3-1 in the second period, and now have a 2-0 lead in the series with three straight games on home ice.  Two more wins and the Komets would win their fourth title in the last five years (2008, 2009 and 2010 IHL Champs).

Team Close-Ups:

Komets: Fort Wayne has trailed for just 3:13 in the Finals and stole two wins in Wichita over this past weekend.  Wichita had won all six home post-season games before the Komets came to town but a two-goal first period in Game 1 seemed to propel Fort Wayne to a level that the Thunder could not match.

The line of Chris Auger, Mike Vaskivuo and Colin Chaulk (six assists in his last three games) have combined for five goals, nine assists and a +10 plus/minus rating in the series.  Auger and Vaskivuo are tied for the league lead in post-season points with 19 (Auger has five goals in his last three games).

Nick Boucher is 10-4 in the playoffs with a 2.87 GAA and has won four of six games in Fort Wayne.

Thunder: Wichita lost three straight games just twice during the entire regular season (once in mid-November with all three losses to rival Tulsa and at the end of the season once the Governors’ Cup had been wrapped up).  A loss on Thursday would equal that mark and put them down 3-0 in the series.

In order to win the Cup, the Thunder will have to make CHL history as no team down 2-0 in the Finals has come back to win the title.

The Thunder have got to find a way to slow down the Komets who have skated past them nearly at will in the first two games.

Goaltender Adam Russo did not finish Game 2 marking the third time in the post-season he has been replaced in a game and according to the Wichita Eagle is questionable for Game 3 with an injury.  Forward Alex Bourret’s status is also in doubt for Game 3 due to injury (according to the Wichita Eagle).

Special Teams: Wichita is just 4 for 52 on the power play in the playoffs (7.7%), while the Komets are 11 for 49 (22.4%).  The Thunder have scored more shorthanded goals (6) than PP goals (4) and are just 1 for 10 in the series with the man advantage.

Fort Wayne’s Frankie DeAngelis leads all players with three power play goals in the post-season.

Who's Hot: Bobby Chaumont, Fort Wayne’s leading scorer during the regular season, is riding a four-game goal scoring streak, just one shy of the 2012 post-season high of five games (Missouri’s Ed McGrane and Fort Wayne’s Mike Vaskivuo). 

Chris Chappell scored in Game 2 and leads the Thunder with three goals and three assists over his last five games.



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