Resurgent Thunder pounces on Allen

The Thunder’s 10-18 start created opportunity.

Wichita lost five centerpiece players to Triple-A Binghamton over the season’s first 2 1/2 months, and some of the holdovers lacked production.

Their replacements, made mostly through a series of trades, are beginning to realize the potential of the Thunder’s original roster. With Sunday’s 5-1 win over Allen at Intrust Bank Arena, the Thunder finished the weekend by outscoring Allen, the two-time defending ECHL champion, 9-1 in two games.

Sunday, the Thunder got standout performances from Zach O’Brien, who has scored eight points in his first seven games with Wichita, and from goaltender Kent Patterson, who has allowed one goal in his first two games since a trade.

“I said to a lot of people that when you lose the kind of players … that we lost to Binghamton over the last 2 1/2 months, you don’t just pick them off trees to replace those type of guys,” Thunder coach Malcolm Cameron said.

“You make a trade and see if it sticks, and see if it sticks and see if it works. Then if it doesn’t work, you move on to the next thing.”

In the last month, the Thunder has added former NHL defenseman Jamie Doornbosch along with forwards Ryan Rupert, David Friedmann and defenseman Jake Bolton. On Sunday, Rupert and Doornbosch were among six players, including O’Brien, who scored two points.

New players have fit in because the Thunder lost so many to promotions and leading scorer Alexis Loiseau left last week to play in Europe. The recent additions haven’t been brought in as spare parts but as players necessary to discovering team success, and many of them have fueled a resurgence.

The Thunder (15-19-1-1) has won four of its last seven while outscoring opponents 26-17 in that stretch.

“Adding Doornbosch was a huge thing,” Cameron said while also mentioning Friedmann, Bolton and Brandon Carlson. “Then adding Zach O’Brien, these were two guys that I knew very well because they’re from Eastern Canada where I’m from.

“…That makes up for the loss of some other guys.”

The Thunder scored four goals in Sunday’s first period, perhaps the team’s most dynamic period of the season. O’Brien, Doornbosch, Rupert and Macoy Erkamps each had two points in the period.

O’Brien has helped to stabilize Wichita’s offense with his immediate productivity. A former 100-point scorer in junior hockey, he is playing in the ECHL for the first time in three seasons and has continued showing his primary strength.

O’Brien, 24, credits captain Ian Lowe with helping him make a quick transition.

“It’s just a great group of guys,” O’Brien said. “The leadership, it starts with Lowesy. Since day one he’s made me comfortable here.”

Patterson has been a similar revelation, debuting Saturday with a shutout against Allen and nearly delivering another on Sunday. He had a 4.08 goals-against average with Atlanta but a change of scenery has paid off so far.

“From my personal standpoint, I just kind of play my game, keep it simple,” Patterson said. “I’m not trying to oversimplify things. We did a great job this weekend of just playing simple hockey.”

This story was originally published January 22, 2017 at 7:44 PM with the headline "Resurgent Thunder pounces on Allen."