Yes, It’s finally over. The losing streak is over. If you don’t want to hear about the losses, feel free to scroll down to Saturday’s game recap while bypassing Thursday and Friday’s.
Adirondack’s Losing Streak Hits Double Digits
The Adirondack Thunder dropped their 10th straight game on Thursday night as they lost 4-1 in Glens Falls, New York against Jake Elmer and the visiting Maine Mariners. Adirondack, early on, would have trouble finding their legs as Eamon McAdam would have to bail them out, making two big saves in the first half of the period. It would be his first appearance since December 18th after not getting any playing time despite his call up to the Binghamton Devils (AHL) in which he would spend three games with the club.
Maine would get the first goal at the 7:25 mark of the game’s first period as Ryan Dmowski would finish off a tic-tac-toe play by the Mariners to get them on the board. Dmowski wouldn’t be finished as less than three minutes into the second frame, he would make net another past McAdam to make it a 2-0 lead for Maine. Marc-Olivier Crevier-Morin would score a little over halfway through the period which would give Maine a commanding 3-0 lead over Adirondack.
However, the Thunder found life 1:14 seconds after Crevier-Morin’s goal as Mike Szmatuala would be left alone in the slot and find the back of the net to cut it to a two-goal lead. That two-goal deficit wouldn’t last long as Greg Chase would score on the power play to give Maine its three-goal lead back, one which they would extend to four on an empty-net goal by Dylan Fox.
Eamon McAdam would make 31 saves despite the 3-1 loss on home ice. McAdam’s last win ironically was also the Thunder’s last win which came back on December 4th when he made 28 saves as Adirondack beat the Toledo Walleye on the road.
Goals:
First Period:
MNE: 7:35 Dmowski (2) from Ronning and Culkin
Second Period:
MNE: 2:27 Dmowski (3) from Elmer and Wallin
MNE: 10:44 Crevier-Morin (2) from Fox and Kile
ADK: 11:58 Szmatuala (11) from Popugaev and Thompson
MNE: 13:55 Chase (6) from Crevier-Morin and Cammarata
Third Period
MNE: 17:37 Fox (12) from Crawley and Savage (EN)
Tough Luck for Thunder As Sad Streak Hits 11
The Adirondack Thunder lost their 11th straight game on Friday night, but this one probably being the most painful of the 11 so far. Worcester would get on the board first as Barry Almeida would feed Shane Walsh to give the Railers the early lead. Ara Nazarian would tie the game as he would find the loose puck from a shot from the point from Tommy Parran.
“It felt nice to put one in there,” said Nazarian who missed eight straight games before returning to the lineup on Thursday night. The teams would trade goals before the period came to a close as Shane Walsh would get the Railers goal shortly after James Henry was assessed a double minor. This would be the case for high-sticking while Jake Linhart would pick up the Thunder’s goal.
As per usual when Worcester comes to town, the penalty box seems to be occupied for a good portion of the game as it was and Alex Carrier and Gabriel Verpaiest would both drop the gloves in the first twenty minutes.
Worcester would grab their lead back at the 8:11 mark of the period as Jack Stander would net his second, giving the Railers a 3-2 lead. Adirondack would once again find a way to claw themselves back into the game as Nikita Popugaev would feed Alex Tonge who would fire home a one-timer from the slot to give tie it. “It was one of his best games in a long time,” said head coach Alex Loh when asked about Popugaev’s play on Saturday night.
Mike Szmatula would give the Thunder a lead as he found a loose puck on the power play which gave put Adirondack ahead 4-3 with a little less than six minutes left to play.
Luck has not been in favour of the Thunder lately as Maine would pull Evan Buitenhuis with 2:01 left in the third and shortly after, Dante Salituro would just get one to trickle past Joe Murdaca to tie up the game. In the final minutes, Buitenhuis would pull off his helmet to get try and stop play and it worked as the refs didn’t see that it was intentional and let it go which would send the game to OT. Salituro would end up being the OT hero as he would take a pass from Barry Almedia and put it behind Murdaca to send the Railers home happy.
It’s Finally Over as Royals Get Thunderstruck
Yes, It’s finally over the Thunder are finally back in the win column for the first time since December 4th when they beat the Toledo Walleye 3-2. Saturday’s game was more about quality over quantity as the Thunder only managed 24 shots, but came away with a 6-2 win. Two power play goals in the first period by Matt Salhany and James Henry would give the Thunder a 2-0 lead that would only expand up until the third period. At this point, Reading would come back with a pair of their own to cut the deficit to four.
It’s not only a huge win for the team, but when asked how it feels to win this one in convincing fashion after the long losing streak, head coach Alex Loh said, “It keeps the heartbeat down” when comparing it to one-goal games. Matt Salhany led the team with five points and Henry added two goals and two assists. Mike Szmatula also recorded a goal in his sixth straight game.
Adirondack finished the night a perfect three for three on the power play something that has slowly been improving for the team. Everything was clicking for the Thunder tonight as Matt Salhany had a career-high five-point night with one goal and four assists. When asked if he ever had a five-point night before, Salhany said to The Puck Authority, “Not since I was 10 maybe.”
Eamon McAdam would pick up the win on Saturday night against a Royals team that he made 43 saves against on November 3rd. When speaking after the game about how it feels to beat the Royals, the Thunder goaltender told The Puck Authority, “It’s really satisfying, we were snake-bitten that night.”
The Thunder will head to Brampton for a home-and-home series starting on Monday which will see the puck drop at the CAA Centre at 7:15 before heading back home.
Goals:
First Period:
ADK: 4:47 Salhany (10) from Linhart and Curti (PP)
ADK: 10:20 Henry (6) from Salhany and Szmatuala (PP)
Second Period:
ADK: 8:09 Henry (7) from Verpaeist and Salhany
ADK: 13:28 Pierro-Zabotel (14) from Salhany and Henry
ADK: 17:57 Szmatula (13) from Salhany and Henry (PP)