Independence, MO (Nov. 23rd) – Kansas City scored three unanswered on Friday night and knocked off Wichita by the final of 4-2 at Silverstein Eye Centers Arena.
Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Mark MacMillan each scored for the Thunder. Steven Iacobellis extended his point streak with an assist.
Wichita controlled most of the first period. The Thunder forecheck created several quality scoring chances that were denied by Mason McDonald. Iacobellis cut down the slot on a breakaway, but lost the puck near the crease. He had another opportunity, firing a one-timer near the net that was stopped by McDonald.
David Dziurzynski continued to be a thorn in the Thunder’s side, scoring the first goal of the game at 11:30. He caught a pass from his brother, Darian, near the front of the net and beat Stuart Skinner with a wrist shot to make it 1-0. MacMillan evened things up at 17:31. Labrie went in on the forecheck and got clipped in the face by McDonald. As he was getting back to his feet, he found a loose puck, dished it out to MacMillan, who one-timed it past McDonald for his first of the season.
In the second, Wichita grabbed its first lead of the game on the power play. Labrie caught a pass through the slot and beat McDonald with a backhand inside the right post to make it 2-1.
Kansas City scored just over a minute later to tie it back up as a shot from Cliff Watson bounced off Skinner’s blocker, re-directed into Colin Larkin’s chest and went in the net. At 14:18, Corey Durocher made it 3-2 as he tipped a puck out of the air that was close to a high stick and found the net. The goal stood, giving the Mavericks a one-goal cushion heading into the third.
The Mavericks added another at 7:08 of the third period as Matt Robertson buried a loose puck near the crease and tallied Kansas City’s second power play goal of the game to make it 4-2. McDonald stopped several Thunder chances down the stretch, including a Hayden Hodgson chance during an odd-man rush. He stood tall and the Mavericks took the victory.
Wichita has eight power play goals in its last seven games and has scored on the man advantage in five-straight. Iacobellis has points in 10-straight games, collecting five goals and six assists over that span. Labrie finished with a goal and an assist. MacMillan recorded his first of the year in his Thunder season debut.
