Thunder climbs out of the cellar

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, March 31, 1999 | 9:31 a.m.

The Las Vegas Thunder players awoke today to find themselves in some uncharted territory for the 1998-99 season.

By virtue of its 5-4 come-from-behind shootout victory over the Houston Aeros on Tuesday night at the Thomas & Mack, the Thunder no longer occupies the cellar in the International Hockey League's Southwest Division.

No, that dubious honor belongs to the Utah Grizzlies (71 points). Las Vegas now has 72 points heading into tonight's game at Long Beach.

But even more remarkable is the fact that Las Vegas, for the first time in the 1998-99 season, actually finds itself with a record (33-32-6) above the .500 mark.

When you consider that back on Jan. 12 the Thunder owned a dismal 9-25-5 mark, it's been quite a turnaround for Bob Bourne and company.

An IHL playoff spot still would be a long shot. Las Vegas trails Kansas City by 10 points for the final Western Conference playoff berth with just 11 games to go.

Still ...

"Hey, we could have packed it in back in January," Bourne said. "It's been a never-say-die attitude by this team. That's the way it was on the bench again tonight."

Houston, thanks to a power-play goal by left winger Jeff Christian with 15:13 left in the game, led 4-2 and appeared to have Tuesday night's game well under control.

But Las Vegas rallied to tie it with two goals in a 19-second span a few minutes later and the game eventually went into a shootout.

Las Vegas got a break in the shootout when Houston's first two shots, by IHL scoring leader Brian Wiseman and right winger David Oliver, both clanged off the goal post.

Scott Hollis scored on the Thunder's second shot of the shootout, but Houston winger Cam Stewart answered with a backhander through goalie Konstantin Simchuk's pads to even it.

But Simchuck stopped Christian with a stick save to start the fourth of the five rounds. Recently acquired center Chris Taylor then gave the Thunder a 2-1 edge with a backhander. Aeros center Mark Freer narrowly missed tying the shootout when his shot also hit the post.

Bourne was not celebrating the fact Las Vegas finally got itself out of the cellar with the win.

"That makes no difference to me," he said. "We're looking at Milwaukee (which has 85 points) now. We've got three games in hand and they're coming here this weekend."

The Thunder, who lost its only two previous meetings against Milwaukee this season, hosts the Admirals Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack.