The Adirondack Thunder and Jacksonville Icemen will meet for the first time since February 20th in Jacksonville, in a game Adirondack won 5-0. Tonight, the Icemen will be looking to win their third straight game, and the Thunder are looking to get back in the win column after a 7-1 loss on Sunday Afternoon.
“Good team’s don’t lose back-to-backs so let’s get a win”
Head Coach Pete MacArthur on the team’s mindset heading into the roadtrip
Where To Watch/Listen
TV/Streaming: FloHockey
Listen Live: Adirondack Thunder Radio Network
Team Stats:
Adirondack:
GA: 2.44 (6th)
GF: 2.78 (18th)
PP: 14.3 % (24th)
PK: 92.3% (2nd)
Jacksonville:
GAA: 2.78 (12th)
GF: 3.22 (11th)
PP: 17.1% (18th)
PK: 83.3% (14th)
Players To Watch
Adirondack Thunder
Andre Ghantous
It was a slow start to the season for the 25-year-old forward, who had three goals and ten assists for 13 points in 10 games at the end of last season and would put up two goals and six assists for eight points during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Ghantous, who couldn’t find the scoresheet in the season’s first six games, would put up four points in the weekend series vs Reading Royals.
In the off-season, the Adirondack Thunder revamped their blueline, and one of the bigger pieces they got was 29-year-old defenseman Kurt Gosselin, who played with three different teams last season. On Saturday night, with Ryan Wheeler and Darian Skeoch out of the lineup, Gosselin netted his first two goals of the season to lead the Thunder to a 4-2 win.
There are a couple of players for Adirondack who haven’t quite found their stride yet this season, and one of them is Patrick Polino. The Buffalo, NY native, who is coming off back-to-back 23-goal seasons, has gotten off to a slow start, putting up two goals and three assists for five points in his first nine games this season. However, Polino found the back of the net in both games against the Icemen last season, so hopefully, tonight’s game gets him going.
Jacksonville Icemen
Zach Jordan
The 28-year-old forward is in his second stint with the Icemen after playing in 22 games with the Indy Fuel last season, putting up eight goals and nine assists for 17 points. He would also see 22 games at the AHL level, putting up a goal and an assist as he spent time with the Chicago Wolves and Rockford Icehogs. Jordan had a career year during the 2021-22 season with the Icemen, where he had 17 goals and nine assists for 26 points in 43 games and has gotten off to a hot start this season, putting up five goals, and three assists for eight points in his first nine games this season.
Olivier Nadeau
The Jacksonville Icemen got a boost to their lineup this weekend after Olivier Nadeau started the year with the Rochester Americans, where he had an assist in two games played. He would make his presence known on Saturday Night as he picked up two goals. The former fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres had 12 goals and 12 assists for 24 points in 41 games during his rookie season.
Liam Coughlin
The Boston, Massachusetts native has been one of Jacksonville’s hotter players of late, as all seven of his points this season have come in the teams’ last five games. This is not only big for the Icemen but also huge after he’s coming off his worst season in the league, where he put up six goals and seven assists for 13 points in 47 games with the Iowa Heartlanders.
Special Teams
Heading into Wednesday Night’s game, the Icemen lead the league, averaging close to 19 and a half penalty minutes a game, are 14th in the league on the PK (83.3%), and have allowed a PP goal in two of their last three games. For Adirondack, the PP has struggled to start the season (14.3%) but has come alive recently with PP goals in back-to-back games. The Thunder are also tied for first with the Florida Everblades, as they have four short-handed goals this season.
