Game Day Capsule: Wichita at Quad City

WICHITAHOME: 10-5-0-2AWAY: 6-6-1-2OVERALL: 16-11-1-4

LEADING SCORERSLowe, 31 pts (12g, 19a)Gauthier, 30 pts (14g, 16a)Miller, 26 pts (10g, 16a)

QUAD CITYHOME: 7-6-1-0AWAY: 9-6-2-2OVERALL: 16-12-3-2

LEADING SCORERSLamoureux, 32 pts (11g, 21a)Perry, 31 pts (16g, 15a)Fox, 27 pts (9g, 18a)

HEAD TO HEAD - This is the fourth of 12 meetings between the Thunder and the Mallards. Wichita is 6-0-3 on the road against Quad City all-time and 15-4-3 overall.

TODAY - Wichita and Quad City play for the second time in the last four days and the first of two this week. The Thunder defeated the Mallards on Saturday night by the final score of 3-2. Quad City hasn't played since January 3rd while Wichita is coming off of a 3-2 loss at Allen this past Sunday afternoon. Tonight is the first trip of the season for Wichita to the I-Wireless Center. After Friday, the Thunder will have five more meetings against the Mallards in Moline.

THREE OR LESS - All three meetings in the season-series between the Thunder and Mallards have been low scoring. Neither team has lit the lamp more than three and two out of the three games have been decided by two goals.

BATTLE FOR SECOND - Tonight's match-up is a battle for second place. Last night, the Tulsa Oilers beat Rapid City to move into a three-way tie with the Thunder and the Mallards with 37 points. Wichita has one game in hand on the Mallards and four in hand on the Oilers.

SPECIAL - One key that will sure to be a factor tonight is special teams. Wichita has gone 4-for-13 (30.1%) against the Mallards this season on the power play, scoring twice on Saturday on the man advantage. Quad City scored their first two the other night against the Thunder on the power play and are now 2-for-15 (13.3%). Wichita's power play on the road is ranked 23rd, operating at 12.5% (8-for-64) while ranking 14th on the penalty kill away from home (12 goals against on 67 times shorthanded, 82.1%). Quad City ranks 18th at home on the power play, operating at 15.3% (9-for-59) and ninth on the penalty kill at the I-Wireless Center (8 goals against on 58 times shorthanded, 86.2%).

STREAKS - Rookie forward Ian Duval extended his streak on Sunday with his second goal of the season and now has 15 points (2g, 13a), tied for fourth-most on the team. Duval has points in his last seven games (2g, 6a) and has found the score-sheet in 10 of the last 11. Eric Meland recorded his 10th assist of the year last night and has points in his last four outings (1g, 3a).

OH CAPTAIN - Ian Lowe was named team captain before Saturday's game. In his first appearance wearing the C, he scored his 12th goal of the season. The Bradwardine, MB native tallied points in every game last week, and extended his point-streak to eight (5g, 6a). The forward also leads the team in points with 31 (12g, 19a).

THUNDERBOLTS… Danick Gauthier is tied for 16th in goals (14), tied for sixth in power play goals (5) and tied for 10th in power play assists (8)…Ian Lowe and Kenton Miller are tied for sixth in power play goals (5)...Tyler Bunz is eighth in the league in goals against average (2.44) while Tim Boron is in 12th place (2.57)…Tyler Bunz and Tim Boron are tied for third in shutouts (2)…Wichita is ninth in shots for per game (31.31) and third in shots against per game (26.78)…Wichita is 5-1-0-1 when leading after one...Wichita is 9-3-0-0 when tied after one…Wichita is 5-3-1-1 when tied after two periods…Wichita is 12-7-0-2 when outshooting the opponent…

QUAD CITY NOTES - Quad City has lost two straight...Mario Lamoureux is tied for 10th in scoring with 32 points...Joe Perry is tied for 13th with 31 and fifth in shots on net with 112...Paxton Leroux is tied for fourth with 10 major penalties...Parker Milner is fifth in goals against average (2.36) and fourth in save percentage (.920)...Quad City is 9-3-2-2 when scoring first...Quad City is 25th in shots against per game (32.36)...

AROUND THE ECHL - There are four other games tonight in the ECHL. Wheeling plays at Reading. Alaska visits Utah. Stockton heads to Colorado. Bakersfield travels to Ontario.

UP NEXT - Wichita begins a three-in-three on Friday night against Quad City at 7:05 p.m.

Individual tickets are on sale now. Don't delay! Tickets can be purchased at the INTRUST Arena Box office, by calling 755-SEAT or go online at www.selectaseat.com. Stay up-to-date on all the news during the season by visiting www.wichitathunder.com.

About the ECHL

The ECHL began in 1988-89 with five teams in four states and has grown into a coast-to-coast league with 28 teams in 20 states and one Canadian province for its 27th season in 2014-15. There have been 541 players who have started their career in the ECHL have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 who made their NHL debuts in the 2013-14 season. The ECHL had affiliations with 26 of the 30 NHL teams in 2013-14, marking the 17th consecutive season that the league had affiliations with at least 20 teams in the NHL. Further information on the ECHL is available on its website at ECHL.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

-Thunder-