Thinel Scores 800th CHL Point In Mavs Win Over Blaze

Sebastien Thinel had a pair of assists and scored his 800th Central Hockey League (CHL) point as the Missouri Mavericks defeated the Bloomington Blaze, 3-2, Friday night at Independence Events Center.  Thinel became just the sixth player in the history of the league to reach the milestone.  Mavericks’ forward Brandon Smith also added a pair of assists and Riley Emmerson scored the game winning goal for the Mavericks who improved to 25-18-4 on the season.
The Mavericks got on the scoreboard first with a power play marker on Colt King’s 10th goal of the season.  He tapped the puck into an open net after it ricocheted off a Blaze defender.  Brandon Smith and Sebastien Thinel each assisted on the opening goal.  Travis Granbois tied the when his shot from up close trickled through the padding of Clemente.  His goal at the 16:39 mark of the opening period was assisted by Brett Lutes.
Missouri regained the lead in the second period when David Simoes notched just his second goal of the season.  Simoes was playing a shift as a forward and found the back of the net on assists from Smith and Blake Forsyth.  It was the only goal of the second period and the Mavericks took a 2-1 lead into final period.
In the third period penalties doubled, starting with a boarding penalty on Brett Lutes that sent Simoes to the locker room and earned Lutes a game misconduct. Riley Emmerson tallied his fourth goal of the season on the resulting power play and it proved to be the game winner. Thinel earned his 800th point in the CHL with an assist on the play becoming just the sixth player in the CHL to reach the milestone. The Blaze scored one more from Steve Makway on a power play at 12:18 to make it a 3-2 game, but the Mavericks stood strong thereafter.
Missouri finished with a pair of power play goals on six chances while the Blaze were 1-for-6.
The Mavs are home again Saturday night against the Allen Americans and Missouri will wear specialty USA-themed jerseys in honor of Hockey Weekend Across America.  The Mavericks will auction the jerseys and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Rainbow Center.