New-look Thunder finds success on ice

Tim Graham

Wednesday, March 25, 1998 | 9:59 a.m.

Across the board, the Las Vegas Thunder brass raved about its newest players.

"We got exactly what we expected," said general manager Bob Strumm.

"Very solid. I'm very impressed," said head coach Clint Malarchuk.

"They made a big difference," said assistant coach Rob Buskas.

Siskel and Ebert have yet to review the game film.

The new-look Thunder scored two third-period goals to defeat the Michigan K-Wings 2-1 Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack Center as goaltender Manny Legace, with wider bodies protecting him, continued his hot play.

"That's a playoff game," Strumm said. "That's playoff hockey."

Strumm bulked up the Thunder's blue line Monday by trading defensemen Steve Bancroft and Justin Kurtz to the Calgary Flames for defensemen Sami Helenius and Keith McCambridge and left winger Paxton Schulte. He also signed veteran NHL defenseman Brian Curran.

Throw in recently acquired Jason Mansoff and all of the new players are over 6-foot, 200 pounds.

And for the first time since Feb. 20, a span of 16 games, the Thunder outshot the opposition, holding a 37-35 advantage on the K-Wings. But Malarchuk was most pleased with the type of shots his team allowed.

"Their shots were more perimeter than quality," he said. "We didn't see those one-timers, or slot-type shots. And Manny didn't have to go coast to coast to make a save."

The Thunder neophytes didn't appear to be helping the defense early.

The K-Wings rattled off 15 shots in the first 10 minutes. And although the first period was scoreless, they eventually got on the board at 8:30 of the second period, when Alex Galtcheniouk skated around McCambridge for a clear shot at Legace.

"We weren't holding the blue line too good," Malarchuk said. "The forwards were leaving too soon and not helping. We were getting caught."

But the Thunder tied the game when right winger Patrice Lefebvre intercepted a cross-ice pass by defenseman Petr Buzek in K-Wings territory. Lefebvre skated in one-on-one and fired the puck between the legs of Manny Fernandez. Lefebvre's 23rd goal of the season came at 10:53 of the third period.

"He can't make that pass through the middle like that, not with Lefebvre there," Michigan coach Claude Noel said of Buzek. "It cost us the game."

But Noel easily could have blamed the officiating. Thunder defenseman Sergei Yerkovich scored the game-winner at 17:44 of the third when he fired a shot on Fernandez from the left wing circle. Fernandez easily got in front of the shot, but Thunder center Jesse Belanger was in the crease and skated into him. The puck fell and bounced in.

"I think it was clear the guy was in the crease," Noel said.

Replays proved Noel correct, meaning the goal should have been waved off. But Belanger had an excuse.

"I was pushed by the defenseman," Belanger said. "I bumped into (Fernandez), but I never touched the puck. I was trying to get out of the way."

Malarchuk laughed about the play, noting several botched calls have gone against the Thunder this season.

"If you want to start adding them up, we're still in the hole," he said. "I don't know (if Belanger was in the crease), and I don't care."

Thunderbolts

* SHAW TRADED: The Tampa Bay Lightning traded David Shaw to the San Jose Sharks Tuesday, placing his future with the Las Vegas Thunder even further in doubt. Thunder general manager Bob Strumm was uncertain where the defenseman will be asked to report. Shaw could be summoned to San Jose or sent to Kentucky, the Sharks' American Hockey League affiliate. Shaw was loaned to the Thunder on Jan. 20 and quickly became a major force in the lineup. At one time, Strumm called Shaw the best player in the IHL. But Shaw's home life fell under duress, and he went home to Florida last week to be closer to his estranged wife and two daughters.

* TACOMA SHUTTLE: Brawling forward Chad Wagner and defenseman Scott Drevitch were sent back to Tacoma of the West Coast Hockey League on Tuesday. Wagner, who has racked up 210 penalty minutes in 22 games with Las Vegas, was a healthy scratch for Tuesday's game against Michigan.