The Thunder hosted last year's one-off final and was thrashed 7-3 by the Canterbury Red Devils.
The final is the best of three games this season and the Thunder believes it can triumph despite losing game one 4-3 in Dunedin on Sunday.
Game two is in Christchurch this afternoon and game three - if required - is tomorrow,
also in the garden city.
Captain Andre Robichaud is already on his second chance.
The 39-year-old fireman had not played for 12 years before rediscovering his passion for the sport on the other side of the world.
A Canadian, he travelled to New Zealand in 1999 expecting to spend a month or so here.
But he set up camp in New Plymouth where he worked as a teacher. He met his wife, Kate, and the couple shifted to Dunedin three years ago.
They have a 21-month-old son named Emerson.
Ice hockey was a distant memory until he walked into the Dunedin Ice Stadium shortly after arriving in the city and experienced a type of awakening.
''It was just like ahhhh,'' he said.
''The smells, the sounds everything was just so familiar.''
His arrival has coincided with a successful period for the Thunder.
The club made solid progress in 2012 and last year reached the final for the first time.
The team has been consistently good this season but has struggled against the Devils.
The Thunder suffered heavy losses in both round-robin games in Christchurch but closed the gap in game one of the finals.
The Thunder actually had the better of - or at least parity with - its opponent for long periods during the match but let in four goals in 10min during the second period.
''Ideally, we'd want to be one up but that is how the cards lay,'' he said.
''But we do have quite a young team and I am hoping that we are learning as we go along.
''I felt a lot of their opportunities came off our mistakes.
"So if we can tighten the ship up and play a complete game, then I still have faith that we can win the next two games.''
The key for the Thunder will be to stay focused for all 60min.
Robichaud conceded his side was stunned by the Devils second period onslaught.
The Thunder had been leading 2-0 when the visitors seized on a defensive mistake and scored despite being shorthanded with a man in the penalty box.
''Sometimes you get one goal against you and it feels like an avalanche.
"The next we knew they had scored four goals in 10min or something like that.
''So it is about dealing with that adversity and being able to put it behind you instantly, as opposed to letting it fester.''
Getting the head right is important but the Thunder has also been focused on the conditions they will strike in Christchurch.
The Thunder's home rink is much larger. So to replicate the dimensions of the Alpine Ice Sports Centre, the team spray-painted lines on the ice and restricted practice to within the new boundaries.
Aside from a few niggles, everyone is ''raring to go''.
The team left last night to avoid travelling on the day of the match.
On the Thunder's last trip to Christchurch, the team's arrival was delayed because of a puncture.
That cut into its preparation time and everyone was keen to avoid a repeat incident.
