Thunder tries to keep inching way toward playoff spot

During the Thunder’s recent six-game losing streak, there was always tomorrow.

The tomorrows are becoming fewer now, but Wichita has had a good week so far. First, Tulsa lost to Allen, keeping the Thunder five points behind Tulsa for the final playoff spot from the ECHL Central Division.

Then, on Wednesday, Wichita earned a shootout victory over Allen to loosen Tulsa’s grip on that spot to three points with four Thunder games remaining – Tulsa has four remaining after Friday’s game against Missouri.

The good feelings from the week may carry over to the weekend, as the Thunder hosts last-place Brampton on Saturday before two cracks at Tulsa next week in Wichita.

The Thunder ends its season next Saturday against division-champion Allen at Intrust Bank Arena.

“You’ve got to kind of let it go and forget about it, put it in the past,” Thunder forward Mike MacIntyre said of Wichita’s losing streak. “You can’t dwell on it. The season’s not over yet and we’re not out of the race for playoffs. Everything is right there.”

The Thunder has often been at its best following adversity. A six-game losing streak late in a playoff race is Wichita’s biggest test yet, but history may favor its ability to survive.

After captain Theo Peckham left the team in December, the Thunder won four games in a row. About a month earlier, Wichita lost leading scorer Stephen Schultz but won four of the next five.

Injuries didn’t truly catch up with the Thunder until recently, but Wichita beat Allen on Wednesday without Ian Duval and Nikita Kashirsy, losses that have depleted the Thunder’s crop of forwards.

Wichita recently won four of seven games on a two-week road trip, its second stretch of at least five consecutive road games in less than two months.

“We lost six in a row,” McClelland said following Wednesday’s win. “We did have a lot of travel – we don’t use excuses around here, but it catches up to you – and we lost some key guys out of our lineup.

“It’s an uphill battle. We haven’t accomplished nothing yet. We’ve got a long way to go yet.”

This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Thunder tries to keep inching way toward playoff spot."