Thunder need Game 4 win to tie series

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. » The Thunder’s demise was the result of a common sports malady called shotyour-wad-itis.

Exhausting their energy in the second period to overcome an early 2-0 deficit, Adirondack fell flat in the third frame and suffered a 3-2 loss in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals against Florida on Wednesday.

The Thunder trail in games, 2-1, with Game 4 set for Friday in Glens Falls.

“I can’t understand it, especially at home,” Coach Brad Tapper said of his team’s weak finish. “I thought we’d have more energy in the third period. Second period, we were the team we know we are. Then in the third period, for some reason, which is unacceptable, we didn’t play very well.”

“They looked like the Harlem Globetrotters, we looked like the Washington Generals,” he said. “It’s something we’ll talk about tomorrow and fix, and be ready to go for Friday.”

Each of the first three first contests has been decided by a single goal, and in each game the team

that scored first went on to win.

The Thunder had a big hole to climb out of after allowing a pair of first-period goals by Everblades Gus Young -- on a power play -- and Logan Roe.

Terrence Wallin ignited Adirondack’s comeback 59 seconds into the middle stanza, as he ripped a shot just inside the right post to make it, 2-1. Momentum suddenly shifted in the Thunder’s favor and kept growing throughout the period.

Rookie Ryan Schmelzer’s team-high ninth postseason goal knotted the score, 2-2, as Adirondack appeared to be in complete control. Schmelzer only played seven regular-season games with the Thunder after joining the team late in the year when his college career at Canisius came to an end.

But he’s made the biggest offensive impact of anyone on the roster during the postseason.

“I set pretty high expectations for myself,” Schmelzer said. “Most important, I’m just doing what the team asks. If that’s scoring goals, if that’s blocking shots, if that’s just being a good teammate, whether I’m in the stands or in the lineup. That’s my mindset and I’m just taking it one game at a time, playing my type of game and results are happening right now.”