LAS VEGAS 4 - STOCKTON 2
Series knotted up 1-1 as Las Vegas capitalizes on three power-play goals

LAS VEGAS - The Las Vegas Wranglers scored three power-play goals on seven chances and received two point efforts from Dan Riedel (1g-1a) and Adam Miller (1g-1a) to help send the Stockton Thunder to a 4-2 defeat in Game 2 of the Pacific Division Final of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs, before a crowd of 2,816 at Orleans Arena on Monday.

Las Vegas tied the best-of-seven series, 1-1 with the next two games shifting back to Stockton Arena. Sean Owens and Jason Dest also scored for Las Vegas as goaltender Glenn Fisher made 23 saves. The Thunder went 1-for-5 on the power-play and received goal-scoring support from James Bates and David Rohlfs.

STOCKTON VS. LAS VEGAS - PACIFIC DIVISION FINALS
(All Times Mountain)

Game 1: Las Vegas 3 at Stockton 4 
Game 2: Stockton 2 at Las Vegas 4
Game 3: Las Vegas at Stockton - Thursday, April 30 - 8:00 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 4: Las Vegas at Stockton - Saturday, May 2 - 8:30 p.m. (Stockton Arena)
Game 5: Stockton at Las Vegas - Monday, May 4 - 8:30 p.m. (Orleans Arena)
Game 6: Stockton at Las Vegas - Tuesday, May 5 - 8:30 p.m. (Orleans Arena) *
Game 7: Stockton at Las Vegas - Wednesday, May 6 - 8:30 p.m. (Orleans Arena)*
* If necessary

Las Vegas streaked out of the gates with three goals in the first period to lead 3-0, beginning with Sean Owens' power-play goal with 6:52 gone in the game on a slapshot from the left circle. Dan Riedel's fifth goal of the postseason put Las Vegas up 2-0 when he took Adam Miller's cross-ice pass at the left circle and buried a wrist shot over a sprawling blocker of goaltender Parker Van Buskirk.

Jason Dest put the Thunder in a 3-0 hole with 1:29 left in the period when he took Scott McCulloch's cross-ice pass at the base of the left circle and snuck a wrist shot past Van Buskirk's blocker.

Van Buskirk kept Las Vegas at bay with 12 saves in the second period which fed the Thunder's first goal of the game late in the frame, cutting the Wranglers lead to 3-1 on James Bates' power-play goal with 14.6 seconds left. Bates finished a three-way passing sequence between Ryan Huddy and Cory Urquhart, whose tip from the left circle found Bates between the hash marks.

Las Vegas' third power-play goal of the game, courtesy of Adam Miller put the Wranglers ahead 4-1 on a scramble at the goal mouth. The Thunder retaliated on David Rohlfs' second goal of the playoffs at 9:21 when he split the defense in the slot and beat Fisher with a wrist shot over the glove side.

Fisher had to thwart a series of Thunder scoring chances at the goal mouth, including Cory Urquhart's bid on a 6-on-5 skating situation with a minute to play with a blocker save, which preserved the Vegas win.

Van Buskirk made 26 saves, falling to a 4-2 record in postseason play.

NOTES: Before the game, the Thunder activated goaltender Andrew Perugini off the injured reserve list, placed defenseman Tyler Kindle on the 3-day injured reserve list and transferred defenseman Matt O'Dette to the 7-day injured reserve list ...scratches for Game 2 were Andrew Perugini (injury, day-to-day), Mike Lalonde (injured reserve), O'Dette (injured reserve), Sebastien Bisaillon (healthy) and Adam Huxley (healthy) ... Bates extended his playoff scoring streak to six straight games ... despite being outshot 30-25 in the game by Las Vegas, the Thunder outshot the Wranglers 12-4 in the attempted third period comeback.

The Thunder and Wranglers return to play for Game 3 of the series on Thursday, Apr. 30 at Stockton Arena, starting at 7:00 p.m. The game is available on radio at 1420 KSTN and is available for viewing online (audio is free-of-charge) for a $7 charge at http://www.stocktonthunder.com/ (courtesy of B2 Networks).

Author: Mike Benton | Stockton Thunder