Thunder prevail in OT again, 3-2
GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » Desmond Bergin, a greenblooded Irishman if ever there was one, had to skip corned beef and cabbage dinner this St. Patrick’s Day.
He celebrated instead by relishing his game-winning goal, 20 seconds into overtime, which lifted the Thunder to a 3-2 triumph over the Wheeling Nailers on Saturday.
Immediately afterward, the team hopped on a bus for a six-hour ride to Brampton, Ontario, where they completed a three- game weekend, with a chance to move into first place on Sunday.
“We’ve had a lot of close games,” Bergin said. “That’s what happens at the end of the year. Teams get a little more structured, games get closer, so more overtimes.”
Saturday’s contest marked the 17th time and 12th at home that Adirondack has gone past regulation this season. They’re 9-3 in games that reach OT on home ice, including the last two as the Thunder edged Fort Wayne by an identical score on Friday.
Adirondack never led Saturday until Bergin beat Wheeling netminder Adam Morrison, with a left-rightleft deke before lifting the puck into the top left corner.
Coach Brad Tapper was impressed with his team’s determination after falling behind 2-1 early in the third period. Brian Ward answered two minutes later with his second goal of the game, and team-high 28th of the year, to knot the score.
That’s how it stayed until Bergin’s sudden- death marker ended the contest.
“I’ve played in the NHL, I’ve played in the American league, I’ve played overseas, I never saw a bench so calm and confident in very long time,” Tapper said. “We didn’t break. The guys just sort of knew that, all right, we’re going to get at least three more chances here to score. Then we went to OT, Kudos to ‘Bergie’ for getting that goal.”
At worst, the Thunder would complete the weekend just two points behind first-place Manchester in the ECHL’s North Division standings. A win Sunday in Brampton would give Adirondack at least a share of the top spot, as the Monarchs didn’t play Sunday.
The Thunder travel to Manchester next weekend for a highly crucial twogame series. All eight re- maining games are against divisional foes.
“This is not easy,” Tapper said. “Our division is probably the best in the league. Every team we play against has really good structure. Kudos to the players for buying into the coaches’ systems of each team.”
“We’ve been through some wars,” he said. “I think this is our ninth three-in-three (three-game weekend) this year. If anybody’s meant for three-inthrees or four-in-fives it’s this hockey club.”