Friday, March 28, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
This is crunch time.
With a handful of games remaining on the schedule, Las Vegas Thunder head coach Chris McSorley said it's time to get serious.
"I take great pride in the last 10 games of the season," McSorley said. "I just want to see this team perform well, get seven-plus wins and get ready for the playoffs. Any team that can (win seven of its last 10 games) should be a great playoff contender."
Las Vegas will attempt to get one of those seven and snap a two-game losing streak tonight at 7:05 against the Utah Grizzlies at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Grizzlies beat the Thunder 4-3 at the Delta Center Monday and hold a three-point edge in the Southwest Division standings.
The Thunder hosts Milwaukee Saturday and then goes on a five-game road trip with one at Phoenix (Wednesday), back-to-back dates at Chicago (April 4-5) and two in three nights at Utah (April 8 and 10). Las Vegas returns home for back-to-back games against Phoenix (April 13-14) to finish the regular season.
It won't be easy for the Thunder to reach McSorley's seven-victory plateau. Defenseman Ruslan Salei is out for the weekend with a dislocated left shoulder. Gone for a few weeks is left wing Ken Quinney, who's hobbled by a sprained medial collateral ligament of his left knee.
Sasha Lakovic also is unavailable, at least tonight, with a strained lower back.
On the plus side, defenseman Jeff Serowik and backup goaltender Andre Racicot have received the medical green light and are expected to be in uniform tonight.
"After a couple days rest, we'll have lots of fuel to burn (tonight)," McSorley said. "With Jeff Serowik returning to our lineup, we now have five top-notch defensemen."
Missing from Utah's blue line tonight are former Thunder Jeff Sharples (bruised foot) and Tom Pederson (strained groin).
To avenge Monday's loss, in which several breakdowns led to Grizzly goals, McSorley said his team can't be as generous.
"We were too loose in every zone and they've got some opportunistic forwards who will capitalize on those chances," McSorley said.
Thunderbolts
* REPEATED RETIREMENT: Erstwhile assistant GM/coach Clint Malarchuk was without his goaltending gear for the first time in awhile at Thursday's practice. With Andre Racicot recovered from nagging leg injuries, Malarchuk stepped back over the line that separates players from management. "It's back to the old grind," he said. "No more fun and games." Malarchuk was yanked from behind his desk and out of his two-year retirement last month when Parris Duffus was called up by the Phoenix Coyotes, leaving the Thunder without a goalie. When Duffus was sent back a week ago, Racicot was sidelined with groin and knee problems, delaying Malarchuk's return to the front office. Malarchuk closed the book (probably for good) with a 1-1-0 record, 5.63 goals-against average and a .833 save percentage.
* POTTY TRAINER: Thunder trainer Van Parfet and his wife, Teresa, are expecting their first child, due in November. Parfet won't deliver the baby. "I hope to be on the road," he said.
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