Thunder’s special teams still especially vexing in 4-1 loss

The Thunder’s hockey season has been one of exhausting repetition and rhetorical questions.

When coach Kevin McClelland asks, “How many nights have we talked about it?” – “It” is usually easy to narrow down and the obvious answer is, “Almost every night.”

The “it” that struck again on Saturday night was the Thunder’s inferior special teams play and its general lack of skill compared to most opponents. South Carolina’s 4-1 win turned when Wichita was unable to score during a 5-on-3 advantage and the Stingrays methodically tallied a goal in the same situation.

The Thunder engaged in four crowd-pleasing fights that suggested an energy it hasn’t often provided during a current six-game losing streak or any of its other six losing streaks of at least three games.

Wichita (10-31-4-4) has been outscored 27-8 during the ongoing slide and on Saturday the Thunder lost by three or more goals for the 17th time this season.

“Where it again took a turn for the worse – it’s 2-1 (South Carolina) and we’ve got a 5-on-3,” McClelland said. “Unbelievable looks. Unbelievable looks, and we didn’t even make the goalie make a save. Three in a row, all you hear is glass. I keep saying it and saying it and saying it, hit the net. At least make them make a save.

“You see them on a 5-on-3 (Thunder goalie Grant Rollheiser) makes two or three saves, then one finally goes through. We should be automatic on 5-on-3. If we tie it up 2-2, it’s a different ballgame. But we don’t give ourselves a chance, and that short-handed goal is a killer.”

The Thunder’s goals allowed weren’t as wholly egregious as those suffered in a 5-1 loss to South Carolina on Friday night. But South Carolina’s speed allowed it to turn Wichita’s inability to tie the score into a 3-1 lead shortly after the Thunder’s 5-on-3 failure.

Though South Carolina scored during its two-man advantage, its offense wasn’t most efficient when it was organized in the Thunder’s defensive zone. The Stingrays are effective freelancers, often making something out of nothing through playmaking, speed, athleticism and passing.

The Thunder was better on Saturday at defending those attempts, but South Carolina’s two second-period goals happened when Wichita players lost track of Stingrays skaters. Wichita was overwhelmed by the deficit those scores created.

“It’s tough when the special teams aren’t going your way,” Thunder defenseman Dan Milan said. “Penalty kill was going well. The power-play, we were working it well, too,” “It’s tough when you don’t bury those and they bury them.”

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 10:40 PM with the headline "Thunder’s special teams still especially vexing in 4-1 loss."