Thunderbolts

The sky-is-falling crowd has quieted a bit after the Thunder’s two road wins, improving the team to 2-3. Some random tidbits after catching up with coach Brent Bilodeau.

First impressions: Three newcomers have contributed immediately for the Thunder: Defenseman Pascal Bedard (2 games, 1 assist, +3); defenseman Bryan Nathe (3 games, 3 assists, +5) and forward Jordan Hack (2 games, 3 points, including two power-play goals). Bilodeau’s thoughts on each follow.

On Bedard: “He’s solidified things a bit for us back there. He has some skating ability. He can move the puck.”

 On Hack: “He’s one of those young guys who brings some speed, finishes checks, brings some energy to the game. He can skate. He’s a dangerous player.”

On Nathe: “He hadn’t skated for a week. Now, he’s starting to find his shape again. He plays strong back there.”

Another new guy: Luke Hunter, a rookie forward recently released from Las Vegas of the ECHL, is the latest addition to the Thunder. Bilodeau is about as even keel as they come, but he talks about Hunter with the same enthusiasm as he did when Hack arrived. “He’s a centerman, very good on face-offs, high energy,” Bilodeau said of Hunter. “You won’t see anyone who works harder.”

Let’s get physical: Bilodeau wants to see more consistent physical play from his team. “It’s been OK,” he said. “I still think we have to finish a few more checks. When we were playing well over the weekend, we were taking the body. When we got away from our game, it was partially because we stopped hitting people. I’m not talking about running guys through the glass; I’m talking about finishing checks, just playing hockey.”

The Three…Chrises: I’m a little disappointed that Bilodeau changed up the line of Chris Tarkir, Chris Green and Chris Shudo. (Jordan Hack has replaced Shudo.) I was already working on some corny nicknames for the all-Chris line. Tres Chris. Chris Mas or Mas Chris. I coulda sold T-shirts, coffee mugs. Now it’s just wasted inspiration.

Joel Lomurno is a rookie GM for the Thunder. Suffice it to say, the season hasn’t started the way he envisioned. The Thunder sold out the home opener, but the on-ice performance has been awful. The Thunder is an alarming 0-3 and last in the league in power play success (4.3), shots for (23.33 a game) and goals (1.33 per game). Lomurno’s thoughts follow.

Is it time to push the panic button?

Absolutely not. We’re off to a slower start than I hoped for, but Brent said we might start slow and get better as the season goes on. I’d like to see us more competitive, that’s for sure.

Does the roster already need a complete overhaul?

No, I think we’re just missing a few pieces. We’ve got a forward and D man coming after their immigration is approved, and they will help. I’d like to see perhaps some size and maybe some toughness added, and perhaps a proven scorer.

Are players like that available?

I think there are always players available if you know where to look.

Does Brent (coach Bilodeau) know where to look?

Brent knows where to look. He’s got numerous connections, as I’ve said before, and he works the phones daily with contacts in the NHL, AHL, EHL trying to make us better. I’m sure changes are on the way.

No news on Batovanja: Don’t expect any official word on the status of team captain Mike Batovanja until sometime Monday, when the team captain will undergo an MRI, GM Joel Lomurno said Sunday. Batovanja suffered what looked like a knee injury late in the Thunder’s home opener on Saturday. He had to be helped off the ice by teammates.

Spotted: Former Thunder tough guy Tyler Hanchuck was chatting with Lomurno in the press box Saturday night. Lomurno said Hanchuck was just “visiting.”

Seabas update: Former Thunder all-star goalie Sebastien Laplante, traded away by interim coach Rob Weingartner last season, made 39 saves to lead Fort Wayne to a season-opening win over Port Huron in an IHL game.

Note to self: Find out who – or what – Jumping Jack is.

A tip, no charge: If I have an open spot at running back on my fantasy team – which I don’t, because I own Brian Westbrook, which means I am obligated to have Correll Buckhalter, Wilbert Montgomery and Ricky Watters on my team as handcuffs – I am taking a flier on Denver rookie Ryan Torain.

Captain selected: Second-year winger Mike Batovanja will wear the C this year for the Thunder. It’s a good choice by coach Brent Bilodeau. Batovanja is tough and scrappy — he’s only 5-7 but he’ll go with anyone — and he’s as fiery as they come. He’ll be a great role model for the younger players. At Michigan Tech, he was an assistant captain as a junior and co-captain as a senior. Check out tomorrow’s Eagle for Bilodeau’s thoughts on Batovanja.

Leftover camp note: I asked Bilodeau about training camp surprises. With no hesitation, he said that defenseman Greg Cassista has been the most-pleasant surprise. “He hasn’t played for two years, and he’s done really well,” Bilodeau said.

The rest of his answer: “Chris Tarkir and Chris Shudo have showed a lot of speed and some promise. Chris Greene has been a good surprise for me. He’s played really well and worked really hard.”

Here’s hoping Thunder fans didn’t get too enamored with the idea of big D man Brad Woods. He was acquired by the Thunder in a trade with Colorado for future considerations on Tuesday. On Wednesday, he decided to retire, Thunder GM Joel Lomurno said.

In other roster news, three defensemen were cut: Keith Detlfesen, John Fieweger and Cam Chalmers.

Look for a flurry of moves tomorrow as the team whittles the roster before leaving for Mississippi for the season opener on Friday.