WORCESTER, Mass. (NEWS10) — Brannon McManus recorded two goals and Tyler Brennan stopped 23 shots, as the Adirondack Thunder defeated the Worcester Railers in the first game of the season – and first game under new head coach Sylvain Cloutier – 5-3, in front of 4,414 fans at DCU Center.
Adirondack wasted little time opening the scoring, as Dylan Wendt took a pass from Brian Carrabes and fired a wrist shot by the pad of goaltender Henrik Tikkanen at the 17:09 mark of the first period. Wendt is the top returning points scorer from last season’s Thunder squad, and it took the second-year forward not even three minutes into Sunday’s contest to provide Adirondack a lead.
The Thunder found themselves on a power-play later in the period. Cam Squires made a great pass to Justin Taylor at the side of the crease, and Taylor lifted the puck just under the cross bar. The goal was Taylor’s first in a Thunder uniform, and gave Adirondack a 2-0 edge, which it maintained until the first intermission.
Worcester answered back in the second period with back-to-back goals off faceoffs to tie the game at two.
Adirondack took the lead back with 5:19 remaining in the second, as McManus forced a turnover and put on a great individual effort, going around a Railers defenseman and beating Tikkanen for the go-ahead score.
But on the ensuing faceoff, Worcester’s Anthony Callin took the puck right in on net and beat Brennan through the pads to tie the game at three just eight seconds after McManus’ tally.
The game went into the third period still even at three. But just three minutes into the final stanza, McManus created another turnover in the Worcester defensive zone and turned that into another unassisted goal. McManus swiped the puck back at the bottom of the left circle and fired a wrister over the shoulder of Tikkanen.
That proved to be the game-winning goal, as Carrabes added an empty-net tally late in regulation to secure the 5-3 victory. Brennan picked up the win in net, stopping 23 of 26 shots.
After visiting the Trois-Rivieres Lions next Friday, the Thunder hosts the Lions in their home opener at Harding Mazzotti Arena on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. The first 3,500 fans will receive a free Adirondack Thunder Flag presented by Glens Falls Hospital. Additionally, Harding Mazzotti Arena will giveaway hats, t-shirts, pucks, Thunder jerseys and NHL tickets throughout the game. Fans can also enjoy $4 Michelob Ultra through the end of the first period.
