Thunder hold fate in their own hands

GLENS FALLS » The Adirondack Thunder control their own destiny by playing 10 of their last 14 games on home ice, starting tonight against Manchester.

The teams squaredoffFriday in New Hampshire.

The top four teams in each division qualify for the ECHL playoffs.

The Thunder came into the weekend five points out of first place, despite losing their last four contests. Tonight’s game opens a six-game homestand that continues at 3 p.m. Sunday against Brampton.

“Themain thing is treating your body right and keeping yourmind sharp because every point does matter when we’re so tight in the standings,” goaltender Drew Fielding said.

The Thunder went on a tear after the All-Star break by winning 10 of 14 contests, led by defenseman Stepan Falkovsky, who was named ECHL Rookie of the Month for February. He scored 12 goals, added three assists and was

a plus-7 in 13 games, helping the Thunder to an 8-2-3 record during the month.

Most dramatic of all, he scored all four goals in a crucial, 4-3, overtime victory against Brampton on Feb. 25. It came before a sold-out, season-high crowd of 5,135.

Eight of Falkovsky’s 12 goals in February were scored on the power play.

A native of Belarus, he leads all ECHL defensemen with 20 goals — becoming the first defenseman in five years to reach the 20-goal plateau.

However, the Thunder’s offense fell flat during a recent four-game road trip. They lost each contest, twice by shutout, and came home holding onto a tenuous six-point lead for the North Division’s final playoff spot.

The division standings have been tight all year, with only a handful of points separating the top four teams. The way things are shaping up, the playoff picture might not be known until the regular season’s final weekend.

The Thunder finish up on the road at Elmira on April 7 and 8.

Fielding credited the team’s success to Coach Cail MacLean’s steady, consistent approach to handling things.

“It’s such a long season, it does tend to go in peaks and valleys,” Fielding said. “Even if there is a loss or two, it’s important to keep a level-mentality. That’s one of the best things about Coach MacLean, he’s such an evenkeeled person. It’s like any good business, it goes from the top down. He does a really good job of having his message filter through the whole entire lineup.”