Thunder puts 6-game win streak on line

Steve Guiremand

Tuesday, Feb. 2, 1999 | 10:12 a.m.

The Las Vegas Thunder puts its season-best six-game winning streak on the line tonight when it hosts the Southwest Division leading Houston Aeros at the Thomas & Mack Center at 7:05 p.m.

The Aeros, who sport the International Hockey League's best record (35-7-6, 76 points), dominate the IHL statistical leaders as well.

Left winger Cam Stewart is tied for the IHL lead in goals with 28 while ex-Thunder left winger Jeff Christian is fifth with 24.

Houston center Brian Wiseman leads the IHL in scoring with 70 points (12 goals, 58 assists) in just 43 games while two other Aeros, former Las Vegas defenseman Greg Hawgood (12 goals, 39 assists) and center Mark Lamb (13 goals, 38 assists), are tied for sixth in the league with 51 points apiece.

The Aeros, who lead the IHL in power play scoring (24 percent) as well as penalty killing (87 percent), also have two of the leagues top goaltenders in Manny Fernandez (18-1-5, 2.31 goals against), a member of the Dallas Stars organization, and Frederick Chabot (16-4-1, 2.34 goals against).

This will be eighth meeting between the two teams. Houston owns a 6-0-1 record against the Thunder, including a 4-2 victory in their last meeting on Dec. 29 in Houston.

The Thunder (15-25-5, 35 points) will have a couple of new faces on the bench for tonight's game.

The club recalled defenseman Bob Quinell from Corpus Christi of the Western Professional Hockey League where he had 8 goals and 22 assists in 47 games. The team also brought up center Steve Dowhy from Bakersfield of the West Coast Hockey League where he had 25 goals and 32 assists in 42 games.

After tonight's game, the Thunder departs on a three-game road trip before returning home for a game next Tuesday against Utah.