Thunder open playoffs tonight

What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than by watching some playoff hockey?
Game 1 of the Thunder’s best-of-seven semi-final series against the Dryden Ice Dogs goes tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena.
“We’re just going to have to bear down,” said Thunder forward Josh McAndrew.
“I think all of the guys are excited, but I’m just trying to focus on what I have to do and not to let emotion get too much in the way,” he added.
The offensive burden will be placed squarely on players like McAndrew, who was the team’s second-leading scorer with 44 points (18 goals/26 assists) during the 48-game regular season.
The Thunder also will be looking for contributions from their other top scorers like Aaron Boyer (49 points), Kurt Hogard (42 points), and Dennis Morrison (39 points) against an Ice Dogs team that has had success against the Thunder, particularly late in the season.
“They’re going to be a tough opponent. They’re hard-working and well-coached,” said Tyler Gordon, who will return tonight as the Thunder’s number-one goalie after missing almost a month of action due to a low platelet count.
Before sitting out, Gordon was one of the top goalies in the SIJHL, garnering a 16-7-3 record along with a 2.26 goals against average and .918 save percentage.
And despite missing about a month, he still ended up leading the Canadian Junior Hockey League with six shutouts.
The Thunder had beaten the Ice Dogs in their first six games but then went 2-4 over their final six, including a 3-0 loss here March 8 to close out the regular season.
That loss left the Thunder with a 30-15-3 record on the year, good enough for second place, while the Ice Dogs finished in third at 24-24-0.
The first-place Fort William First Nation North Stars (42-2-4) are squaring off against the fourth-place K&A Variety Golden Hawks (15-25-5-1) in the other semi-final series.
The North Stars took the opener 7-1 on Tuesday night, with Game 2 slated for tonight.
“The playoffs are about how you react to adverse situations and what we saw tonight is that we are our own worst enemy,” head coach Dave Allison had said after the 3-0 loss to Dryden a week ago Tuesday.
Allison and Ice Dogs head coach Larry Wintoneak will be making their return to their respective benches tonight after serving suspensions for their part in a bench-clearing brawl that occurred between the two teams Feb. 22.
“I think it all just adds to the rivalry between us,” said Thunder forward Brock Harling. “It’s become quite a rivalry and it should be a really good series.”
Game 2 is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Ice for Kids Arena, with Games 3 and 4 in Dryden on March 23 and 26.