TGD: Playoff Edition, Game 1 vs. TEX Options

[ThunderClap]

vs. 7:05pm (CST) @ Intrust Bank Arena

Number three seeded Texas (33-25-8) comes to take on number one seeded Wichita (44-19-3) for Game 1 of the Berry Conference Finals after defeating the number two seeded Allen in the series 4 - 2. The Thunder ended the regular season at 5-3-0 against the Brahmas. In all but one of those games, we have come out ahead by one point.

The key for the Brahmas is their neutral zone trap. If they can slow down the Thunder and have their goalies bring their "A" game, they have a good chance of winning. The problem for the Brahmas is Wichita's offensive depth. You stop one or two of the Thunder players two or three more show up.

The key for Wichita is to keep pressure on Fox, Hodge and Hellyer. In the six playoff games they have played, they have a total of 11 points. I would also keep an eye on Nutkevitch, Rouleau and Woollard. These three have a combined 10 assists in six games. The Thunder also need to find a way to get through the trap. If Wichita can keep this a faster pace game than the Brahmas are comfortable with, then the Thunder will win. And lastly, the powerplay...if the Thunder can't improve this, it could be their Achilles' Heel.

I think Wichita will take this one 4 - 2.

Side Note: Happy Birthday to Adam Russo (12 Apr 12)!

[ThunderClap]

	Season Stats		Playoff Stats
	Wichita	Texas	Wichita	Texas
Games Played	66	66	5	6
Team Record	44-19-3	33-25-8	4-1	4-2
Points	91	74	8	8
Goals For	231	171	18	16
Goals Against	181	170	12	17
PP	18.7% (6)	12.2% (14)	4.5% (7)	20.0% (4)
PK	81.8% (11)	83.3% (7)	85.0% (4)	75.0% (8)
Home Record	24-8-1	22-7-4	3-0	2-1
Away Record	20-11-2	11-18-4	1-1	2-1
Record Vs. Opponent	5-3-0	3-4-1	0-0	0-0
Current Streak	3 Losses	1 Win	2 Wins	2 Wins

As of: 12 Apr 12 @ 12:19

[bigtalker]

I think it is very important that we come out in the first few minutes of this series like we did in the series against Rio.. Knocking the tar out of anything that moves.. Maybe the teams should start the series off with a bang and have Lizon and Hand drop em right after the opening face off.. I think this game will be a tight good game (like every game in this series) and the good guys will win 3-2

[Thunderfan23]

Low scoring game. The boys better come out hitting everything that moves. Including Wildfong. 3-1 Wichita.

[goalieguy87]

Gotta set the tone for the series. I would love to see the boys blow the first game wide open. Lots of hitting and lots of shots. I'm not saying this should be a 6-1 game. But it would be nice to win by 2-4 goals.

Thunder win 4-2

One game at a time...

[þunor]

Really looking forward to this nail-biter. Agreed the boys need to come out strong, but pace themselves. The games I've watched of Texas, they seem to have a very agressive play style.

Would love to see them take this one hardcore, but as we've seen from Texas' last series, coming on strong the first game won't guarentee victory. I'm packing my heart medicine and looking for a 4-2 victory Wichita.

[kuhawk77]

Finally it's game day! Hope the boys get a bigger crowd for tonight's game.

[D Mac]

I think it is very important that we come out in the first few minutes of this series like we did in the series against Rio.. Knocking the tar out of anything that moves.. Maybe the teams should start the series off with a bang and have Lizon and Hand drop em right after the opening face off.. I think this game will be a tight good game (like every game in this series) and the good guys will win 3-2

As tough as Hand is, I'm not sure he'd even drop em with Lizon. IMO.

[tornadowarning33]

As tough as Hand is, I'm not sure he'd even drop em with Lizon. IMO.

I thought they had a go earlier this season, and if I remember right most of that fight was Hand dancing around like a clown on nerve gas.

[þunor]

Anyone see the coverage on KAKE about tonight's win? I think RG (or may have been Chappell) said it best about tonight when he said that they were in essence trying to feel the other team out. I definitely got that vibe in the first 2 periods of play. No matter how many time they've played before, it is easy to get used to something with repetition and IMO the bees play style is different than the Brahma's.

I'm glad they picked it up and hopefully going forward they'll have focus and strategy for how to spank some cows!

Side note, anyone know why Bourret got so pissed and slammed his stick against the glass?

[erik6285]

Anyone see the coverage on KAKE about tonight's win? I think RG (or may have been Chappell) said it best about tonight when he said that they were in essence trying to feel the other team out. I definitely got that vibe in the first 2 periods of play. No matter how many time they've played before, it is easy to get used to something with repetition and IMO the bees play style is different than the Brahma's.

I'm glad they picked it up and hopefully going forward they'll have focus and strategy for how to spank some cows!

Side note, anyone know why Bourret got so pissed and slammed his stick against the glass?

When was this? I must have missed it.

[Guest_slapshot687_*]

Anyone see the coverage on KAKE about tonight's win? I think RG (or may have been Chappell) said it best about tonight when he said that they were in essence trying to feel the other team out. I definitely got that vibe in the first 2 periods of play. No matter how many time they've played before, it is easy to get used to something with repetition and IMO the bees play style is different than the Brahma's.

I'm glad they picked it up and hopefully going forward they'll have focus and strategy for how to spank some cows!

Side note, anyone know why Bourret got so pissed and slammed his stick against the glass?

i missed it to. didn't see that happen

[Game Miss Conduc...]

Wow, it was a nail-biter until the empty netter! Some quick impressions of the game... they look almost lost until the other team scores the first goal, then they ramp up the energy level and play Thunder hockey. As much as some folks on the MB like to rag on Sawyer, he made a couple of smart plays that took the puck from Texas and helped prevent goals. They looked awesome in the end of the 2nd, but came out meh in the 3rd. How great is it that having the first goal scored against us isn't really a problem, it's just the motivation for our team to get in Butt-kicking mode?

[FlashBang]

Anybody know what the story on Fogal was? Why did he get the hook with under 3 minutes left? He stayed on the bench and never took his helmet off, so I doubt he was injured.

[erik6285]

Anybody know what the story on Fogal was? Why did he get the hook with under 3 minutes left? He stayed on the bench and never took his helmet off, so I doubt he was injured.

Texas iced the puck when all that happened, which means the same players for Texas have to stay on the ice and the coach can not call a time out to give that line a rest at all, so with Wildfong "talking to the ref" and changing the goalie, it gave that line a good 30 seconds to a minute to rest and catch their breath. If you noticed coach Mac was going nuts on our bench because he knew exactly what Wildfong was doing.

[netminder18]

Anybody know what the story on Fogal was? Why did he get the hook with under 3 minutes left? He stayed on the bench and never took his helmet off, so I doubt he was injured.

From what I heard, Guggenburg has more experience with when to leave the net, and he's much faster at it, so the plan was probably to put Fogal back in if they tied it up.

[Gdogg6]

Texas iced the puck when all that happened, which means the same players for Texas have to stay on the ice and the coach can not call a time out to give that line a rest at all, so with Wildfong "talking to the ref" and changing the goalie, it gave that line a good 30 seconds to a minute to rest and catch their breath. If you noticed coach Mac was going nuts on our bench because he knew exactly what Wildfong was doing.

If Texas would have iced it that would have meant we would have had a faceoff down in Texas's end. The faceoff was to the right of Russo in our end. So that wasn't the case. I do think it was a stall tactic but I think it was more because he wanted that line out there and was trying to give them a rest, it wasn't an icing though.

OUT

GDOGG

[Gdogg6]

My theory is Guggenberger is better in shootouts, so Dan put him in incase Texas tied the game and it went to a shootout.

That would be a good theory if there were shootouts in the playoffs but my guess is Wildfong knows that there are no shootouts in the playoffs, the ice is shaved and a 20 minute 5 on 5 period is played with the first team scoring being awarded the win.

OUT

GDOGG

[speedrissr]

From what I heard, Guggenburg has more experience with when to leave the net, and he's much faster at it, so the plan was probably to put Fogal back in if they tied it up.

This^

Al?

RLR

[bigtalker]

well i think the game tonight was pretty much what most of us expected.. It wasn't the prettiest game by any means but the boys created just enough chances to get the win. Was kinda surprised Texas got as many shots as they did and alot of those were quality shots but i think our D will start to shut that down as the series goes on. Need to be more physical in the game Sunday in my opinion.

[Thunderwarning]

Texas iced the puck when all that happened, which means the same players for Texas have to stay on the ice and the coach can not call a time out to give that line a rest at all, so with Wildfong "talking to the ref" and changing the goalie, it gave that line a good 30 seconds to a minute to rest and catch their breath. If you noticed coach Mac was going nuts on our bench because he knew exactly what Wildfong was doing.

Why can't the coach call a time out? Did the rules for "time-outs" change?

[rednuhtog]

Anyone see the coverage on KAKE about tonight's win? I think RG (or may have been Chappell) said it best about tonight when he said that they were in essence trying to feel the other team out. I definitely got that vibe in the first 2 periods of play. No matter how many time they've played before, it is easy to get used to something with repetition and IMO the bees play style is different than the Brahma's.

I'm glad they picked it up and hopefully going forward they'll have focus and strategy for how to spank some cows!

Side note, anyone know why Bourret got so pissed and slammed his stick against the glass?

I don't remember exactly what happened that made Bourret slam his stick, but I know he was furious at the ref for a pretty good stretch there in the 2nd, including when he got hooked on his semi-breakaway. At a couple of points his face was beet red and you could tell it was taking everything he had not to lose his cool.

[þunor]

When was this? I must have missed it.

i missed it to. didn't see that happen

It was right before the face off in front of the Brahma's goal and right before he went back to the bench. I really can't remember all the events surrounding what led up to it, just that he slammed it on the glass in front of section 123.

Also, thought I'd post the link to the news story KAKE did about tonight's game in case anyone missed it:
KAKE story on Thunder Win

[Thunderfan23]

Low scoring game. The boys better come out hitting everything that moves. Including Wildfong. 3-1 Wichita.

What do I win???

[goalieguy87]

What do I win???

A night with KG....#WINNING

[HockeyBuddha]

What do I win???

Malsy's M&Ms.

[Thunderfan23]

Malsy's M&Ms.

That's no fun, I could just steal those from him.

[ThunderClap]

Malsy's M&Ms.

I wouldn't mess with Malsy's M&Ms. He's a little protective of them. LOL

[D Mac]

What do I win???

Nothing...........We didn't hit Wildfong. Lol

[Netminder]

The purple cow fans don't like coach Mac that much.


Read Here

They are planning a bus trip for the game on the 21st, Please don't let that happen close this out by next Friday!!