First-place Mavericks still perfect vs. Thunder

For the 10th time the Thunder took the ice against the team with the best record in professional hockey. And for the 10th time, the Missouri Mavericks proved their standing with a 4-1 win.

The Mavericks (29-3-1-1) strengthened their already firm grip on the ECHL’s Central division, adding two more points to their lead over second-place Allen and knocking Wichita deeper into the division cellar with the Thunder’s third consecutive loss and ninth in their last 11 games.

The difference in the 10th meeting was clear. Missouri took advantage of Wichita’s mistakes, but when the Mavericks, who rarely do error, did give the Thunder scoring chances, the opportunities failed.

“The effort was fine, and we’ve seen the team come around a little bit,” Thunder coach Kevin McClelland said. “There were just some breakdowns at the wrong time, and that’s what’s been hurting us all year long.”

Missouri took advantage early when Sebastien Sylvestre was left alone in front of the net in the first period. Wichita goalie David Shantz stopped Sylvestre’s first shot but couldn’t block the rebound.

A puck-handling mistake by Shantz in the second period put Wichita in a 2-0 hole. Shantz dropped behind his net to collect the loose puck but gave it up to Jesse Root, who quickly backhanded it into the empty net for the goal.

The Thunder climbed back into the game 10 minutes later by finally taking advantage on the power play. Landon Oslanski’s shot from the blue line found its way through traffic in front of the net for Wichita’s lone goal.

The Thunder started the third period on a penalty kill and had a chance to clear the puck but Missouri’s Bryce Aneloski kept it in the zone and fired from the blue line. Shantz stopped the shot but the rebound bounced to Josh Holmstrom’s stick for the first of his two third-period goals. Holmstrom also scored later on an empty net.

Missouri spent much of the third period in the penalty box. But the Thunder was shutout by a strong defense and goaltender Stephon Williams, a New York Islanders fifth-round draft pick who stopped 32 of 33 shots for his first win as a Maverick in his second start.

“We got a couple opportunities on the power play at the end there that were a little one-sided and we had a chance to get back,” McClelland said. “We haven’t had a great power play all year but when you shoot the puck on the power play you’ve got a chance of it going in. Now all the sudden we want to get cute, and we’re a team that can’t get cute.”

Though the loss held the last-placed Thunder at an ECHL-worst 23 points in 36 games, both McClelland and defensive captain Dan Milan said they’ve seen positive steps taken since the start of 2016.

“I think we played really well. I really do. We gave up two fluky goals, but the direction we’re going is definitely up,” Milan said. “These guys are character guys, and they want to win. The only thing you can do is play hard. You can’t just put your head down and let the other team take over and we’re not doing that.”

The Thunder will open a stretch of 9 games – 6 on the road — in 15 days starting Friday at Utah.

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 10:25 PM with the headline "First-place Mavericks still perfect vs. Thunder."