Shootout win brings confidence to Thunder

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 1997 | 9:38 a.m.

They're three men on a similar mission: Restore the Thunder as a force in the International Hockey League.

One, Chris McSorley, coaches the team.

The second, Clint Malarchuk, is an assistant coach who's handling the head-coaching duties while McSorley serves a five-game suspension.

The third, Bob Strumm, is the general manager.

Each was jovial and interacting nicely with the others following Las Vegas' 7-6 shootout victory over the Chicago Wolves Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center. They could smile because they won.

But this one almost got away from the Thunder despite the fact it scored three goals in the first 6:25 of the game. Poof! That 3-0 lead not only vanished, it turned into 5-3 and 6-4 deficits before Las Vegas regrouped and scored twice in the last 11 minutes of the third period to force the overtime.

Simply put, what if the Thunder had lost after owning that 3-0 lead?

"I'd have been pretty pleased anyhow," Malarchuk surprisingly said. "I'd have to say I would have been happy regardless."

Strumm was slightly less tolerant, saying "I've never been satisfied with a loss."

That left it to McSorley and he decided to capitalize at his friend Malarchuk's expense.

"Clint's got a long ways to go as a coach if he says he'd ever be happy with a loss," McSorley said. "A coach can't be happy with a loss."

But this was no loss and the Las Vegas front-office contingent actually was overjoyed. While the defensive collapse that caused the Thunder to squander that three-goal lead could have been significant, it was ultimately overshadowed by the team's third-period comeback.

"I really like our guys," said Strumm, the architect of the Thunder's roster and the man responsible for supplying McSorley and Malarchuk with quality players. "They came through when the hammer was down."

It was shootout win No. 2 for the Thunder after a season-opening loss last week.

"You can see the heart and desire these guys have," McSorley said. "It was a funny game but we came out of it with something really positive."

Play was fairly wide open and pleasantly fight-free. The game ended on the final shot, as Las Vegas left wing Ken Quinney beat Chicago goalie Wendell Young on what amounted to a sudden-death shootout opportunity. Each team scored three times on its five shootout chances, forcing the outcome into extra, extra innings.

Chicago, 3-0 coming into the contest, finished with a 33-27 advantage in shots on goal. Young, a former NHL goalie, was erratic and slightly off his game, while Konstantin Simchuk of the Thunder received a passable grade from Malarchuk despite the six misplays.

"It was a hard game for a goaltender to play," the former goaltender said. "I'd say (Simchuk) handled it admirably."

Like those in the stands, Simchuk had to have been amused by the Thunder's series of quick strikes in the opening minutes. Quinney, Steve Bancroft and Trevor Roenick scored goals in the first 6:25 as Chicago appeared far too relaxed and Young missed everything.

But the Wolves -- who are an independent team without an NHL affiliate -- struck back with three goals of their own before the intermission, then tacked on two more by the 15:03 mark of the second period.

Joe Day ended that streak of five unanswered goals by notching one for Las Vegas at 17:34 of the period and closing the gap to 5-4.

Chicago, however, regained a two-goal lead before Quinney scored to trim the Wolves' lead to 6-5 with almost 11 minutes to play.

The game-tying goal came with many of the fans keeping an eye on Simchuk even though play was in the Wolves' end. He was on the verge of being called from the net in favor of a sixth skater when Las Vegas defenseman Justin Kurtz dribbled one past Young from just outside the crease. That made it 6-6 with 1:22 to play and, shortly thereafter, the final result was left to those taking part in the shootout.

"I knew that game wasn't going to be that easy," Malarchuk reflected on having a 3-0 lead. "I didn't think it was over by any means."

Fact is, at that early stage the roller coaster had just nicely gotten started.