Netminder Jeff Gardiner made 26 saves and earned his first shutout of the season for the Airdrie Thunder, as the Heritage Junior Hockey League team improved its season record to 5W-0L with a 5-0 road win over the Lightning in Stettler on Oct. 17.
Travis Wallen, Kelly Duke, Justin Rockafellow, Andrew Bergmann and Cache Doolaege all scored, while Alex Diduch provided three assists as the Thunder built an insurmountable lead early.
“We got off to a good lead – it was 5-0 after two – and we were happy to not let them score,” said Thunder head coach Darryl Einarson.
“Gardiner was solid again in net and it was a real overall team effort.”
The Thunder remains undefeated on the season, but Einarson said he is more concerned with how the team is coming together at this point in the HJHL season.
“The more we play together and practice together, the more we gel and get used to each other,” he said.
“Our six defensemen are getting really comfortable in their pairings, but we know we’ve got some work to do and we’re going to work on special teams all week, just to refine them. We still have a lot of plays to go over with the guys.”
Wallen and Duke scored in the first period, while Rockafellow, Bergmann and Doolaege padded the lead in the second, as the Thunder out shot the Lightning 36-26.
“We certainly out-chanced them and we were pleased with the outcome,” Einarson said.
“Now it’s going to be nice to play three in a row at home.”
The Thunder will host the Banff Academy Bears on Oct. 22 at 8 p.m., the Medicine Hat Cubs on Oct. 24 at 3:45 p.m. and the Three Hills Thrashers on Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.
All three games will be at the Ron Ebbesen Arena.
