The C.D. Dodd Perth Thunder will look to build on this past weekend’s form when they take on the defending Goodall Cup champion CBR Brave on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June from the nation’s capital.
CBR Brave (7-W/1-L/0-OTW/0-OTL-21 PTS)
vs Perth Thunder (2-W/4-L/1-OTW/0-OTL-8 PTS)
Thunder defeat Sydney Bears at Perth Ice Arena
The Thunder will look to carry the momentum onto the road following a 5-4 home ice victory over the Sydney Bears at Perth Ice Arena. The Thunder will be hoping the win over a finals contender like the Bears will be just what they need to get their own charge towards finals contention on track. Perth entered the game 9 points behind the last qualifying spot but banked all three available points to close the gap as they reached the quarter mark in the AIHL regular season. The Thunder did enough to hold off the Bears and take advantage of the fact the road weary Bears had played in Adelaide just 24 hours prior.
Forward Line Shuffle Pays Dividends
Thunder coach Dave Ruck implemented a new look to the forward lines and it paid immediate dividends. With Shaun Tobin making his season debut, Ruck moved import winger Ben Breault onto a line with Tobin and Andrew Cox. The move saw Kieren Webster skate along side first year imports Louick Marcotte and Keven Veilleux and Webster broke through with a hat-trick, rewarding Coach Ruck for the increased role and responsibility.
Assuming the Thunder stick with the same line combinations this weekend, the ability for Coach Ruck to play his imports across the first two lines rather than stacked on one line will allow Perth to enjoy improved depth and create more difficult match-ups up and down the line-up for their opponents. Ultimately, if the Thunder are to get themselves back into finals contention, they will need a balanced scoring attack and contributions throughout the line-up.
Thunder Look to Avenge Home Losses to Brave
The CD Dodd Perth Thunder will look to avenge the two losses the CBR Brave handed them recently in Perth. On the weekend of 11th and 12th May, the CBR Brave travelled to Perth and skated to successive 5-1 victories over the Thunder. The Thunder will be looking to return the favour as they make their only trip of the season to the Phillip Swimming & Ice Skating Centre in Canberra. It’s worth noting that the CBR Brave’s only loss on the season did occur on their home ice at the hands of the Sydney Bears.
Thunder Working Through Challenging Schedule
The Thunder will not use it as an excuse but the early season schedule has certainly been a challenge for the Thunder. Including this coming weekend’s games, they will have played 8 of their first 10 games against teams currently sitting in the league’s Top 4. If the Thunder can bank points on the road against the Brave, they will be setting themselves up to make a strong charge at the Finals as they will have 8 of their final 18 games against opponents currently sitting below them in the standings. The Thunder will be aiming to keep within striking distance of the Top 4 as they look to have a strong push through the middle half of the season.
Brave Add Former Boston Bruins Prospect
The CBR Brave announced the signing of former Boston Bruins prospect Jesse Gabrielle to bolster their already potent attack. Gabrielle was a 4th round pick of the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The 5’11”, 205-pound left wing has played 25 games for the Bruins American Hockey League affiliate in Providence. Gabrielle had his entry level contract with the Bruins terminated in April and joins the Brave after having his ECHL season cut short due to injury in March. He most recently skated for Wichita Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League. He had 21 points in 36 ECHL games this past season. It remains to be seen whether he will be ready to make his AIHL debut this weekend.
Next Thunder Home Game
Following this weekend’s away games, the Thunder will return to home action on Saturday 8th June against the Melbourne Ice at 4:30pm at Perth Ice Arena. It’s a single game weekend and with a break for the AIHL All Star Game weekend to follow, followed by more away games, it’s the only home game between now and the 29th of June so come on out and support the Thunder!
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Contact Information
Perth Thunder
ThunderDome - Perth Ice Arena
708 Marshall Rd, Malaga
Perth, Western Australia
6090 Australia
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