Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Riddick plays with a vengeance in Game 2

After his performance in Game 1 of the opening round of the Turner Cup playoffs, Thunder goaltender Pokey Reddick smashed his stick against the wall of the tunnel leading to the locker room at the Thomas & Mack Center, leaving a mangled mess of wood in his wake.

Monday night, there was not a splinter to be found, meaning Reddick was back to his old self in Las Vegas' 4-1 win over Phoenix in Game 2.

The 31-year-old veteran turned aside 32 shots and made several key saves to keep it a 1-0 deficit. In addition, he literally fought back when the Roadrunners tried to rattle him.

He clocked Craig Ferguson in the head with his blocker after Ferguson invaded the crease, drawing a two-minute roughing penalty.

But Reddick's pugilistic skills took a back seat to his ability to stop the puck.

He stopped Rob Cowie from point-blank range after losing his stick in the first period. He robbed Barry Potomski at the second-period buzzer to keep the score 1-1. And he closed the door on the Roadrunners with 14 third-period saves.

"Pokey gave us a chance to win the game," said Thunder coach Chris McSorley. "It's rare Pokey has back-to-back bad games and he was back to his old self."

McSorley said as long as the Thunder can surrender fewer than three goals a game during the playoffs, it will be in good shape. So far, Las Vegas has a 2.50 goals-against average.

"You know we're going to average scoring at least three," he said. "If we can keep our goals against to 2.50 or less, we'll be tough to beat."

DiPietro sits again

McSorley had a tough decision prior to Game 2. Does he sit Sasha Lakovic and Darren Banks, his two enforcers? Or does he keep them on the ice and play Paul DiPietro, the skilled veteran?

Phoenix coach Rob Laird made McSorley's decision for him by dressing tough-guy forward Barry Potomski. It meant Banks and Lakovic played (and started) and DiPietro sat for the second straight game.

DiPietro missed Game 1 with the stomach flu. But he has been practicing with the team since last Thursday. Yet, there he was Monday, roaming the concourse between periods in civies while the Pit Bull was mixing it up with Potomski.

Meanwhile, McSorley called Banks and Lakovic into his office following the game and verbally undressed the duo for not playing smart, disciplined playoff hockey.

"They were outplayed by Potomski," McSorley said. "Maybe that's why Potomski's playing on TV (in the NHL) and they're playing on radio.

"They want to play a regular shift. But at the same time, they have to understand if they want to act like sheriffs, they have to wear their badges outside their uniforms."

McSorley said Tuesday he wasn't sure who would dress and who would sit for Game 3 Friday at Phoenix. But Blaine Moore, who split time on right wing with Lakovic Monday, came out of the game with a hyperextended knee and a slight hamstring pull. Moore did not practice Tuesday and is not expected to return to the ice until Thursday.

If Moore can't go, that would open the door for DiPietro to return. If Moore plays -- and all indications are he will -- McSorley will have another tough call on his hands.

Thunderbolts...

* BREAK THE ICE: If the Thunder wins Game 3 Friday, it would mark the first road playoff win in franchise history. Las Vegas is 0-6 in the postseason away from the Thomas & Mack. ... The Thunder split its four games in Phoenix this year, winning 5-3 Nov. 15 and earning a 3-2 shootout victory Dec. 23. The Thunder was 23-13-5 on the road this season and has won seven straight on the road going back to March 23.

* TIM'S BACK AT MIKE: Thunder announcer Tim Neverett will call Friday's game from Phoenix after spending the week in British Columbia calling the Stars' series with the Vancouver Canadians. Neverett filled in for Stars announcer Jon Sandler after Sandler was hit in the eye with a thrown baseball in Tacoma last weekend. Bob Blum pinch-hit Monday for Game 2, while Neverett found himself sitting in a hotel room in Vancouver after rain forced postponement of the Stars-Canadians game at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Dotting the I...

* BLADES LOSE KOZLOV: If the Kansas City Blades upset the Utah Grizzlies in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs, it'll be without star center Viktor Kozlov. Kozlov, who was sent down to Kansas City by the parent San Jose Sharks, opted to play for Russia in the current World Ice Hockey Championships instead of KC. The Blades and Grizzlies play Game 3 Friday in Kansas City with the series tied 1-1.

* LONG NIGHT: The Zamboni at Cincinnati Gardens received quite a workout last Saturday after the Cyclones outlasted the Atlanta Knights in double overtime. Chris Kontos netted the game-winner for Cincinnati, which took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference best-of-five series. It was the 12th-longest game in IHL history and took just under five hours to complete.

* ATTENDANCE DOWN: The Thunder isn't the only team struggling at the gate during the postseason. Attendance is down throughout the IHL with Detroit's average of 12,064 the best so far. Orlando is next at 7,094 per game. Compare that to the regular-season average the Vipers had of 13,305 and the Solar Bears' 10,460 and you can understand why the Thunder's 4,977 average for two games at the Thomas & Mack is lower than its 7,771 regular-season average. ... The biggest dropoff at the turnstiles, however, is in Cleveland, where the Lumberjacks averaged just 3,898 for its two playoff games with Michigan after averaging 9,081 during the regular season.

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