Cleveland, Thunder to square off

Steve Guiremand

Friday, March 12, 1999 | 9:42 a.m.

Two teams battling for their International Hockey League playoff lives square off this weekend when the Las Vegas Thunder hosts the Cleveland Lumberjacks tonight and Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Thunder (26-31-6, 58 points) trails the Kansas City Blades by 11 points for the final playoff spot in the IHL's Western Conference with just 19 games (13 at home) to go. The Blades, who lost at home to Las Vegas on Wednesday night, 8-5, have 18 games left, 11 of which are at home, including a pair this weekend with Manitoba.

Cleveland, meanwhile, is battling for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Lumberjacks (23-31-6, 52 points), who lost a 6-5 shootout at Utah on Wednesday night, trail both Indianapolis (58 points) and Grand Rapids (58 points) by six points with 22 games left to play.

Tonight's game will be the first of three meetings this season between the Lumberjacks and Thunder, who will play again in Cleveland next Friday (March 19).

Sunday's 6:05 game was originally scheduled for Saturday night but was switched in order to accommodate a World Wrestling Federation show at the T&M. Tickets issued for Saturday's game will be honored on Sunday night.