Thunder tops Moose for fifth straight win

It didn't seem possible.

The Las Vegas Thunder, which had won only nine of its first 39 games and seemed destined to finish in the cellar of the IHL's Southwest Division, had suddenly found life.

After winning back-to-back games only once the entire season, the Thunder had miraculously managed to reel off four wins in a row.

Local sports fans and pundits said either the apocalypse was upon us or the streak would come to an abrupt end. Neither was correct.

In front of a small crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center Tuesday, the Thunder continued to do the impossible, defeating the Manitoba Moose 5-4 on a shootout goal by rookie Sean Berens.

The win, Las Vegas' fifth consecutive, improved its overall record to 14-25-5.

Manitoba, wrapping up a four-game road swing, fell to 25-15-6.

The back-and-forth game, which was tied on four different occasions, was finally decided in the fifth round of a shootout. After Thunder goaltender Petr Franek stuffed Jason McDonald's attempt, Berens beat Christian Bronsard top-shelf to give Las Vegas the win and send his teammates pouring onto the ice.

"I told (coach Bob Bourne) when it went to a shootout I wanted to take the final shot," said Berens, whose 18th goal of the season gave the Thunder a 4-3 lead in the third.

"Thankfully, he gave me the opportunity."

"One of the big differences for us has been Franek," said Bourne, attempting to explain his team's sudden turnaround.

"He's been making the saves he has to make and some he's not supposed to."

Bourne went on to say that captain Kevin Kaminski's return from a facial injury has been a stabilizing force in the locker room.

But it was Kaminski's play on the ice that proved critical on Tuesday.

After a punishing check against McDonald in the first, Kaminski was rewarded by teammate Taj Melson.

The point on a three-on-one break, Melson fed Kaminski for an easy goal just two minutes into the game.

Eight different players scored goals in regulation.

The Thunder will go for its sixth win in a row Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center against Fort Wayne. Manitoba returns home to face Cincinnati that same evening.

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