Print edition: 
Even Bobby Hughes, by far the most frustrated person on the ice, found reason to force a wry smile after his first-period shot hit the cross bar and bounced harmlessly away.
Had he fired the puck even an inch or so lower, it would have reached the back of the net for a 1-0 Thunder lead.
Instead, nothing but clank, leaving Hughes in disbelief.
So the Wichita Thunder didn't go up early, and Amarillo, predictably, scored 30 seconds later.
Given that the Thunder seldom rallies for victories — it is now 1-32-2 when giving up the first goal — that sequence all but decided the game.
Amarillo scored two more unanswered goals in the period and went on to win 6-0 Saturday, dropping the Thunder to 9-47-5 overall and 1-11 at Intrust Bank Arena.
Feel free to debate whether Saturday's loss, coming against the worst team in the Southern Conference, was worse than Wednesday's 8-1 drubbing against talent-laden Colorado.
Whatever, the fans let their displeasure be known Saturday.
"Last two home games have been embarrassing — 6-0, 8-1; I'd boo us, too," captain Chris McAllister said. "It's ugly hockey."
The Hughes miss was surprising — he had three points in a win at Amarillo on Friday — but representative of the Thunder season.
In fact, later in the period, Anders Strome and Jason Reese were both denied on breakaways by Amarillo goaltender Mike Brown, who made 41 saves.
Reese, who had been on a scoring streak, had the best opportunity, but Brown, while outstretched on the ice, blocked the puck with his stick. It was the sixth time the Thunder has been shut out this season, including the second by Brown.
"That's been our M.O. all season — no offense," McAllister said. "We're scoring two goals a game. You're not gonna win many hockey games doing that."
The crowd of more than 7,000 had reason to expect a better performance, since the Thunder scored a season-high six goals in the victory at Amarillo on Friday night. Interim coach Jason Duda had no explanation for why his team couldn't continue the momentum at IBA.
"It was two different teams from last night (Friday) to tonight (Saturday)," Duda said. "Last night (Friday), we skated, we worked, we did what we're supposed to do.
"I don't know what it is when we get into this building. If we could get the effort at home we get on the road, we would have won a lot more hockey games."
Notes — The Thunder completes its home schedule tonight against Missouri. It's Fan Demonium, the team's fan appreciation night.... The Thunder is 0-7-2 against expansion Missouri.... After missing four games, McAllister returned to action. In the first period, he plowed Amarillo's David Nimmo into the boards.... The Thunder's Neil Clark fought Chris Cloud one second into the game.
Amarillo3 2 1 — 6 Wichita0 0 0 — 0
First Period
Scoring—1. Amarillo, Nimmo 27 (Battaglia, Guenther) 7:42; 2. Amarillo, Bell 12 (Chafe) 11:43; 3. Amarillo, Guenther 26 (Brennan) 17:45. Penalties— Amarillo, Cloud (fighting) :01; Wichita, Clark (fighting) :01; Wichita, Klempa (boarding) 4:39; Amarillo, Arvai (interference) 11:56; Wichita, Reese (tripping) 12:54.
Second Period
Scoring—4. Amarillo, Guenther 27 (Battaglia, Nimmo) 5:21; 5. Amarillo, Felde 7 (MacRae, Arvai) 18:49. Penalties— Wichita, Cooper (tripping) 4:22; Amarillo, Cloud (roughing) 5:45; Amarillo, Arvai (holding) 16:07.
Third Period
Scoring—6. Amarillo, Cloud 7 (Obermeyer) 13:12. Penalties— Amarillo, Morissette (holding) 5:55; Amarillo, Smith (tripping) 8:57; Amarillo, Smith (hooking) 14:51.
Shots on goal—Amarillo 17-10-5—33, Wichita 14-12-15—41.
Power play—Amarillo 1-3, Wichita 0-6.
Goaltenders—Brown, 41 saves on 41 shots. Wichita, Campbell 27 saves on 33 shots.
A—7,457.
