Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Roadrunners get first look at ‘new’ Thunder

Rob Laird concedes the roster the Thunder will trot out tonight in the opening game of the Turner Cup playoffs is vastly different from the one the Phoenix Roadrunners' coach saw back in late January, when the teams last met.

But Laird can point to his roster and say virtually the same thing.

These Roadrunners are a different group from the one that lost to Las Vegas 6-2 on Jan. 30. Whether the current bunch is good enough to upset the IHL's top team remains to be seen.

"We're finally healthy and we don't have anyone up (with the parent Los Angeles Kings)," Laird said from Phoenix on the eve of Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals at the Thomas & Mack Center. "Top to bottom, I think we match up with them pretty well. We've got two good goaltenders, eight solid defensemen and three good lines.

"Whether that's good enough, I don't know. Even though Las Vegas has changed a few pieces, they still do the same good things.

"But I know we're not going to just lay down for them. And in a short series, anything can happen."

The Roadrunners were 5-3-2 over their final 10 games, but didn't lock up a playoff berth until the final weekend. There still are some questions as to who will start in goal tonight and the status of defenseman Barry Potomski, who has been out with a shoulder injury, won't be known until game time.

Laird said he wasn't sure whether Jamie Storr or Frederick Beaubien would get the call between the pipes for Game 1 of the best-of-5 series.

Storr, who only recently returned to the Roadrunners after missing 16 days due to his mother's death, has struggled in his two appearances since rejoining the club.

Beaubien, who has appeared in 36 games this season and is 13-9-7, played very well in the Roadrunners' come-from-behind 6-4 win over Los Angeles in the season finale last Sunday.

The Thunder is expecting to see Beaubien in goal tonight. Storr was 1-1-1 against the Thunder while Beaubien was 1-1.

"I haven't made up my mind yet on that," Laird said. "But I feel we have two good goaltenders and I'm comfortable playing both of them."

As for the Roadrunners' offense, Laird said the addition of veteran center Gary Shuchuck and the healthy return of left wing Dave Thomlinson will bolster an attack which has been carried by the line of Steve Larouche, Brent Grieve and Jeff Shevalier. The trio has 62 points in its past 13 games.

"Having Gary is a big pickup for us and Dave was our leading scorer in the playoffs last year, so having him back is important," Laird said. "I think the big thing for us overall is to use our depth and stay disciplined. We need to have total awareness from everyone and play smart."

Thunder coach Chris McSorley said his team won't look past the Roadrunners.

"We're playing a good hockey club," he said. "We're not going to worry about any one line or person. We need to be sure that whatever line we put up against them (Larouche's line) plays responsibly."

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