Steelheads pick up gutty shootout win in Stockton

(Stockton, CA) - Jerry Kuhn stopped 41 of 42 shots and Derek LeBlanc scored in regulation and again in the shootout as the Idaho Steelheads came up with a gutty, hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Stockton Thunder Saturday night in front of 7,032 fans. The victory pushes Idaho's overall record to 21-20-5, its record in shootouts to 6-3, and its record when it holds the opponent under three goals to 15-1-1. Both goaltenders, Idaho's Jerry Kuhn and Stockton's Olivier Roy, put on a show for the fans. After LeBlanc (10th at 10:16 of the 2nd period) and Chris Doyle (14th at 16:40 of the 2nd period) notched tallies, each goaltender made save after save to keep the game tied at one. Kuhn came up with two huge saves late in the second period, robbing the Thunder on an attempted back-door play and then stonewalling Matt Foy in the final seconds of the frame to keep the game tied at a goal apiece. Idaho had a golden opportunity late in the overtime session when Jacob Cepis fed Chad Nehring in the slot with a nifty pass, but Nehring's one-timer rifled just wide of the net and the game went to a shootout. Andrei Plekhanov netted a tally in his first shootout attempt of the season to give Idaho the lead in the best-of-five shootout, but Stockton's Matt Reber quickly tied it back up at a tally apiece in the second round. It would stay that way until the final shooter of the fifth round, Idaho's Derek LeBlanc, who beat Roy with a forehand snap from the slot to lift Idaho to the victory. Roy, like Kuhn, was dazzling in defeat, stopping 36 Steelhead shots. Both teams were 0-4 on the power play. Idaho returns home on February 8 to host the defending Kelly Cup champion Alaska Aces. Tickets are available by calling the CenturyLink Arena box office (208.331.TIXS) or by logging on to www.idahosteelheads.com. COORS OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME - Derek LeBlanc AQUA FINA "3 STARS" - (1) Jerry Kuhn (ID) (2) Derek LeBlanc (ID) (3) Olivier Roy (STK) Group outings at a Steelheads game are a great way to gather friends, colleagues, or co-workers for a fun night out in downtown Boise. Ticket prices are discounted and you can get a Pepsi, Double-R Ranch Hot Dog, and bag of Tim?s Cascade Chips with each ticket. Contact the Steelheads front office at 208.383.0080 or log on to www.idahosteelheads.com for more information.