Thunder squanders lead in 4-2 loss to Tulsa

When the Thunder hasn’t deconstructed through personnel changes this season, it has imploded. Both options leave no room for a sustained build or consistency.

The only question regarding the collapse is how long it will take to complete. Saturday’s happened over two scoreless periods, as the Thunder surrendered a lead and lost to Tulsa 4-2 at Intrust Bank Arena.

The Thunder (6-12-0-1) followed the best game of a poor season, a 5-1 win over Indy on Wednesday, by totaling two goals in a pair of losses to Tulsa, Wichita’s competition for last place in the ECHL Central Division.

That win appears to be an anomaly, as do the other fleeting positive moments. The Thunder last won consecutive games at the end of October, and followed it by losing eight of the next nine.

“There’s some guys that obviously, they’re not getting it done,” Thunder coach Kevin McClelland said. “But where do you find players right now? You’ve just got to keep tinkering away, but you’ve got to get rid of the dead wood.”

Saturday’s loss crumbled on Tulsa’s short-handed goal in the third period, which broke a 2-2 tie and preceded an empty-net goal in the final seconds. It was especially painful because Wichita’s league-worst power play unit scored twice in the last three games, including Saturday, but it suffered a pivotal failure to dampen the optimism.

The Thunder’s defensemen, which shined days ago against Indy, drew McClelland’s ire on Saturday. McClelland has continuously addressed a patchwork group without finding the right combinations during a game or throughout the season.

“We’re still going to keep bringing in defensemen,” McClelland said. “These guys aren’t doing it. We keep looking for defense because (of) some of the reads and books we’re getting on these guys. I’ll tell you what, those books should be written in pencil because they’re not right.”

McClelland said he takes responsibility for the poor start, which is especially urgent because the Thunder has missed the playoffs the last two seasons. Most players aren’t performing to their previous numbers and leadership, often only addressed during difficulties, seems lacking.

Captain Ian Lowe has hardly been a major issue, but his pedigree as a scorer suggests better production than seven points and a minus-12 rating in 19 games. Former NHL defenseman Theo Peckham has offered little along with other Thunder veterans.

“It comes down to me,” McClelland said. “I’m not going to pass it on to them. I’ll take the blame for it. But guys aren’t getting it done. You bring guys in to do certain things and they’re not doing it. You’ve got to move them along, but I don’t think anyone wants them. No one really wanted them, because that’s why they’re here. That’s how we inherited them.”

The teams fought four times Saturday, three involving Thunder forwards Paxton Leroux or Erick Lizon. Their traits are so similar that it was suggested to McClelland that one could be expendable in favor of a scorer. McClelland dismissed the idea.

“They’re not the guys not scoring right now, they’re the guys doing their job out there,” McClelland said. “We can’t even talk about that. Those guys are going out there taking punches and battling, laying it all on the line. What are these other guys doing? Nothing. So I’m not even looking in that area.”

The Thunder failed to take advantage of playing 12 of its first 19 games at home. Its next home game is Dec. 20 after seven straight on the road that could be telling – or not.

“I know a lot right now,” McClelland said. “I know exactly what I need to know.”

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 11:15 PM with the headline "Thunder squanders lead in 4-2 loss to Tulsa."