While the Central Hockey League only consists of 10 teams, the Wichita Thunder saw their second set of unfamiliar faces in their last two games Saturday night, having played another inaugural CHL team (Brampton Beast) Friday.
Both the Thunder (three straight losses) and the Chill (1-4-1 going into the game) came into Friday’s matchup starving for a win. The good news? Somebody had to get one.
It does not come as much of a surprise that the Chill finished regulation with just one goal (now just three goals in their last three games), but their league-high 33 goals against rendered the Thunder’s lone regulation goal a pleasant surprise.
Despite a few missed opportunities and a late-period penalty on each squad, the first period came and went without much of a bang. The Chill led in the shot department at the intermission (12-11) but failed to convert on a late-period powerplay and the score was 0-0 at the end of one.
As Chill head coach Jamie Rivers says, when the puck is put on net, things happen. That is exactly how it went in the second period, as Thunder forward Jason Wilson buried one with 17:36 remaining to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Wilson was careful not to punish the new franchise too much, however, as he missed wide on a breakaway just over one minute later.
The adage proved true for the Chill as well when forward Jordan Fox punched in his second goal of the season with 13:22 remaining. Forward Chad Costello further distanced himself in the Chill point race (9) on the assist, now leading by five.
The Chill once again failed to convert on the powerplay (12.9 percent on the season) and the scored remained tied at the second intermission.
As for scoring in regulation goes? Well…that’s it.
Despite the Chill recording 10 shots in the third period to the Thunder’s four, the third time did not prove to be the charm. Neither side managed to put up a crooked number before the end of regulation and the Chill entered their third overtime of the young season.
This would surely be more of the same, right? Not quite.
Many of the Chill’s problems this season have stemmed from poor defensive play, but it was a member of this struggling unit who emerged as the star. With 1:40 remaining in the period, defenseman Steve Makway buried a blue-liner from Martin Hlinka to give the Chill their second win of the season.
“Marty (Hlinka) just had it on the wall, threw it up
