Thunder welcomes back coach with win

Tim Graham

Monday, Oct. 20, 1997 | 10:24 a.m.

Welcome back. Pleased to meet you. Don't be a stranger.

All three sentiments were bantered about the Thomas & Mack Center locker rooms Sunday night after the Las Vegas Thunder posted a 7-0 victory over the Houston Aeros.

The game marked the return of head coach Chris McSorley, the T&M arrival of defenseman Sergei Yerkovich, the Thunder debut of first-line center Jesse Belanger and probably the last IHL game in some time for Konstantin Simchuk.

"We played possessed from the drop of the puck," said McSorley, who served a five-game IHL-imposed suspension for his perceived role in Sasha Lakovic's pummeling of Houston's Alan May in last season's playoffs.

McSorley insisted the line of Ken Quinney, Belanger and Patrice Lefebvre would produce, and the trio proved him a prophet. Although Quinney and Lefebvre are the only teammates who have been with the Thunder since its inception five years ago, all three clicked like they have played together since the beginning.

They accounted for five goals and scored 11 points in the final two periods alone.

"Our first line tonight was a dream team," McSorley said. "It was assembled in the summer and they finally had the chance to perform tonight. It was worth the wait."

Although the Thunder owned his IHL rights, Belanger did not sign until last week after deciding European hockey was not for him. Sunday's victory marked his first game in two weeks.

"At the beginning of the game, I was pretty nervous," Belanger said. "For me, they play a totally different style here (than in Europe). The rink is smaller, there is more hitting. I struggled a little bit at the start.

"But as I got more time, I got more comfortable. In the third (period) I had a lot of confidence in me."

Lefebvre could sense it. And with Belanger's help, Lefebvre burst out of what he claimed was a slump and scored his first two goals of the season. He led the Thunder in scoring last year with 94 points.

"You can see what a quality player he is," Lefebvre said. "The three of us played well together."

Added Belanger: "I hope our performance is going to carry over. I can't see why it couldn't keep going like that."

Simchuk stopped 25 Aeros shots, giving him his second professional shutout. He recorded his first only three days prior with Tacoma of the West Coast Hockey League. He also recorded two shutout periods in a start in between, making him unscored upon in seven of nine periods over a span of four nights.

He is scheduled to start for Tacoma in Boise Wednesday, as No. 1 goaltender Manny Legace returns tonight from his American Hockey League suspension.

"If I am going to have the same games like I had tonight, I will travel the whole year," Simchuk said through Russian-speaking defenseman Sergei Klimovich. "I would like to live in Tacoma and fly to Las Vegas just for the games."

Simchuk raised his Thunder record to 3-2-0. He likely will remain on the bench tonight against Houston and Tuesday against Utah due to backup Tim Cheveldae's back problems.