Bulls Thrash Thunder On Their Way To Second Straight Win: Game Recap
San Francisco Bulls v Stockton Thunder, February 17, 2013 – photo courtesy of Mike Tkacheff via San Francisco Bulls Web Page – SFBulls.com
The Bulls manhandled their Northern California rivals the Stockton Thunder seven to two. It was an offensive outburst for San Francisco as they scored a season and franchise high seven goals. Six different Bulls’ players had a goal and 12 different Bulls recorded at least one point. Peter Sivak lead all scorers with two goals and an assist. Newcomer Tommy Grant made his presence felt as he also added three points with a goal and two assists. Bulls goalie Taylor Nelson had a solid night as he made 38 saves on 40 shots. His competition was exactly the opposite as Tyler Bunz only made 15 saves on 21 shots. The Bulls now lead the Thunder 6-4-1 on the season and they only have two games at home against Stockton left on the year.
First Period:
The Bulls were looking to get out to to fast start against a struggling Thunder defense. Ryan hayes staked the Thunder to an early lead with his 12th goal on the season at the 5:57 mark of the first. This would spark the Bulls, who would go on a tear and end the period with three straight goals. Kory Falite would net the first goal midway through the period with his 13th on the season. Christian Ouellet and Jordan Morrison would get the credit for the assists. Nick Walsh would give the Bulls the lead with his first goal as a Bull. Peter Sivak and Tommy Grant would combine on the assists. Peter Sivak would push the Bulls’ lead out to two goals with his 30th on the year and Tommy Grant would add his second assist. The Thunder out shot the Bulls 14 to 12 on the period.
Second Period:
The Bulls would keep up the momentum as they would add three straight goals in the second period as well. Tommy Grant would get his first goal as a Bull just inside of three minutes with a put back of a rebound on a Mikael Tam shot. The Bulls would add another just under a minute later on the power play. Bryan Cameron would net his 19th goal of the season with an assist from Tristan King. Just four minute later the Bulls would have their sixth straight goal. Tristan King would score his 22nd following a great individual effort as he showed off his great hands. The Thunder would get back on the board with a late second period goal by Gabriel Levesque. The Bulls would out shoot the Thunder 14 to 11 in the second.
Third Period:
The third period saw the Bulls just trying to maintain their lead. The Thunder would pour on the offense in the third as they tried to fight back. The Bulls would give the Thunder two early power plays, but the Bulls penalty kill and Taylor Nelson would step off as they kept the Thunder off the board in the third. The Bulls would add a seventh goal when Peter Sivak would score his 31st goal of the season and his second of the night. The Thunder would out shoot the Bulls 15 to six in the period and 40 to 32 on the night.
The had their second straight strong game as they had success on all zones of the ice. Their offense was the story of the night as they scored a season high seven goals. Peter Sivak lead the Bulls with two goals, his 30th and 31st on the season, and he also added 23rd assist. Newcomer Tommy Grant made his first game as a Bull a special one as he had three points in his debut. He had a goal and two assists. Four other Bulls players added a goal on the evening and 12 Bulls were on the score sheet for at least one point. The Bulls also had their second straight game with a power play goal as they went one for two on the night with the man advantage. Staying on special teams, the Bulls penalty kill was particularly strong as they held the Thunder scoreless on their six chances on the power play. Taylor Nelson was a big reason for this as he was in a good rhythm all night with 38 saves on 40 shots. The Bulls improve to 23-34-7 as they pick up a point on Utah to pull within seven, while the Thunder fall to 32-25-9 on the year. The Bulls are back in action this Saturday as they kick off a two game home series against the Utah Grizzlies.
Three Stars:
- Tommy Grant – San Francisco
- Kory Falite – San Francisco
- Peter Sivak – San Francisco