SHARKSPAGE

After strong regular season, San Jose’s ECHL affiliate in Stockton bows out of Kelly Cup Playoffs in first round with 5-0 loss to Utah Grizzlies

#29 TYSON SEXSMITH MAKES GLOVE SAVE AFTER ENTERING GAME IN 2ND

UTAH GOALTENDER #1 J.P. LAMOUREUX LEADS THE HANDSHAKE LINE

STOCKTON HAS FINISHED TOP-3 IN ECHL ATTENDANCE 6 STRAIGHT YEARS

There are ebbs and flows in the development of any hockey franchise. In the finale of the sixth season for the Stockton Thunder, there was more ebb than flow. The 6th seeded Utah Grizzlies powered past the 3rd seed Thunder with a 5-0 win in the best of five ECHL Kelly Cup Western Conference Quarterfinals. Utah advanced to the Semifinals with a 3-1 series win. “We didn’t do enough to win that hockey game,” Stockton head coach Matt Thomas said. “They out played us, out battled us, out worked us, everything you need to do to win in the playoffs.” For the Grizzlies, it was their third Pacific Division playoff scalp after previously defeating the Fresno Falcons and Las Vegas Wranglers.

Game 4 began with physical play. In the Stockton defensive zone, both teams traded hits along the boards. 6-foot-3, 230-pound defenseman Jordan Bendfeld tried to line up Utah center Hugo Carpentier for a big hit in the neutral zone, but Carpentier danced around the check and registered a quality scoring chance on goaltender Bryan Pitton. After an early Grizzly penalty, the Stockton Thunder took 3 straight minors in the first period. After allowing a shorthanded goal and the go-ahead power play goal a night earlier in Game 3, Thunder head coach Matt Thomas noted that a strong penalty kill over the second half of the regular season had struggled against Utah. That would continue on Sunday night.

Bryan Pitton made a strong left pad save on a Paul McIlveen breakway, but a redirect in front of the goal resulted in a delay of game call for Jody Pederson. Shortly after time expired, and while the announcer let go an overinflated ‘THUNDER BACK AT FULLS STRENGTH’ Carpentier opened the scoring for the Grizzlies. The puck was in the net 3 seconds after the penalty expired. Early in the game the Stockton Thunder had opportunities to gain back momentum. After right wing Kelly Czuy beat two players high in the offensive zone, he did not take the puck any deeper and fired a long wrist shot that was easily stopped by Utah goaltender Jean-Philppe Lamoureux.

The Utah Grizzlies goaltender is a player to keep an eye on. Lamoureux was a USHL product and a four year member of the University of North Dakota team earning a Hobey Baker nomination in his final season. After ECHL goaltender of the year honors and a Finals appearance in 2009, Lamoureux played 31 games for the AHL Portland Pirates last year with a 14-12-2 record (.894SV%, 2.98GAA, 2SO). Very crisp and confident in goal, Utah quickly moved the puck from defense to offense and prevented any sustained pressure in their own zone. In the offensive zone, the Grizzlies created scoring chances on the rush and on the forecheck. Paul McIlveen took a short pass and cut hard towards the slot. A shoulder move froze the defenseman, and the quick wrist shot beat Sexsmith to make the game 2-0.

At this point down 2-0 with the seaon on the line, the Thunder started to press and make mistakes. After a violent open ice collison sent sticks flying, center Chris Lawerence tried to carry the puck 1-on-3 into the Utah zone and quickly turned the puck over. A lost defensive zone faceoff resulted in a Grizzly point shot with 2 players battling in front of Tyson Sexsmith. The bounces were going Utah’s way. Stockton defenseman Steve Vanoosten collided with an official opening up Utah forward Matt Reber for a breakaway and a 3-0 lead. The Thunder started to gain a little momentum and get the fans behind them, but then defenseman Ryan Constant hammered Simon Ferguson hard up against the end boards. Ferguson was motionless on the ice for several seconds before he slowly made his way back to the bench.

Battling Martin Gerber and Jeff Deslauriers for playing time with the expansion Oklahoma CIty Barons of the AHL, Edmonton goaltending prospect Bryan Pitton was recalled and earned the start on short notice after Tyson Sexsmith’s 19 save on 22 shot performance Saturday in a 4-2 loss. “You can always look back and question all your decisions,” Stockton head coach Matt Thomas said of the decision to use Pitton. “His record was undefeated in that situation coming in, with less rest than he had… I really felt we need a bit of a spark.” That spark did not ignite the rest of the Thunder lineup. “You can believe in the individual, but if the group doesn’t rally around him it ends up not looking like the greatest move.”

San Jose Sharks goaltending prospect Tyson Sexsmith was inserted into the game to start the second period, but it was an akward 20 minutes. The Utah Grizzlies hung back at times in an almost prevent offense mode while the Thunder struggled to get the puck through the neutral zone. The best chance came early on a home run pass by defenseman Anthony Aiello to Craig Valette. From the bottom of the faceoff circle to the left of Sexsmith, Aiello hit Valette in stride at the blueline. The Thunder forward crashed the net as the Utah defense collapsed around him.

The Thunder failed to gain any momentum for long stretches after that. An offsides was followed by a blocked shot by Utah. Later in the period by a Stockton goal by Jordan Fulton was waived off. After a rebound shot deflect off goaltender Lamoureux and in, a referee ruled that contact was made with the goalie on the play. No goal. After a fan chant directed at the officials, the crowd became restless with the home team as they watched a Thunder side that could not generate any kind of sustained attack. A Utah holding call with 1:45 left gave the Thunder a power play, but frustrated fans boo’d the home team on each Grizzly clear. Hugo Carpentier joined Paul McIlveen in the box for a 5-on-3 power play, but Stockton could not convert despite a quality scoring chance.

The frustration grew in the third period, as the Utah Grizzlies switched from a prevent to a counter-punching attack with a 3-0 lead. As Stockton struggled to get the puck deep, the Grizzlies created a number of odd man rushes testing Sexsmith in goal repeatedly. Utah outshot Stockton 10-6 in the final period with the Thunder needing a comeback, and they added to their lead with goals by Samson Mahbod and Kevin Deeth. “I am really disappointed that there are a lot of guys that didn’t show up for the playoffs, it hurts,” coach Matt Thomas said after the game. “Getting boo’d in front of your own fans. It was a tough night at home, tough way to end the season.”

It may have been a tough finish for 2010-11, but the Stockton Thunder did put together one of their strongest regular seasons to date. They earned a 37-23-12 record, tied a franchise best record with 86 points, earned their best playoff seeding to date (3 seed), and gained home ice advantage in the playoffs for the first time. There is a constantly evolving process at the ECHL level with call ups and reasignments, but fan support and the support of the local community was strong throughout the season. After leading the league in attendance for 4 straight seasons from 2005 to 2009, the Stockton Thunder finished third in 2009-10 and second in 2010-11. The ECHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks even outdrew several AHL franchises night in and night out. Support from the fans is there, they need a long playoff run like the Conference Final appearance in 2010 to rally around.

A photo gallery from the game is available here.

[Update] Thunder torn asunder, Season ends with disappointing rout – Scott Linesburgh for the Stockton Record.

[Update2] Utah Grizzlies end Stockton Thunder’s season – Lodi News-Sentinel.