Oil Drops: Weekly Report 02/08/16

(Photo by Kevin Pyle – www.photopyle.com) 

LAST WEEK’S RESULTS Wednesday, Feb. 3 – vs Missouri Mavericks (4-3 OT- W)Thursday, Feb. 4 – vs Utah Grizzlies (3-1 L)Saturday, Feb. 6 – vs Utah Grizzlies (3-1 W)

THIS WEEK’S GAMESWednesday, Feb. 10 – vs South Carolina Stingrays, 7:05 p.mFriday, Feb. 12 – vs Quad City Mallards, 7:05 p.mSaturday, Feb. 13 – vs Quad City Mallards, 7:05 p.mSunday, Feb. 14 – vs Wichita Thunder, 4:05 p.m

TEAM CAPSULEOverall: 22-17-2-2 (48 points)Home: 13-7-2-1Road: 9-9-0-1Rank: 3rd in Central Division

TEAM LEADERSGoals:  Emerson Clark – 18Assists:   Dan DeSalvo – 26Points: DanDeSalvo – 37+/-: Dan DeSalvo, Dennis Brown +19PIM:  Emerson Clark – 117

WEEK IN REVIEWThe Oilers were in the BOK Center three nights this past week where they captured four of a possible six points. Tulsa defeated the Missouri Mavericks in overtime on Wednesday and split a pair with the Utah Grizzlies.

Wednesday night was another thriller between the Tulsa Oilers and the league-leading Missouri Mavericks. Seven of their eight meetings have been one-goal games and this week’s was no different. The Oilers went from a 3-1 deficit to Adam Pleskach tying up the game with five seconds left in regulation. Tulsa’s Connor Kucera notched his second professional goal as the overtime game winner.

Having met only two times prior, Tulsa hosted Utah on Thursday night but were defeated 3-1. Oilers’ Emerson Clark struck first and early for Tulsa but it would not be enough to fight off the Grizzlies.

Saturday night’s contest concluded with another score of 3-1 against Utah—this time in Tulsa’s favor. The first tally of the night would go to defenseman Joe Sova–his first goal of the season and a cancer survivor on Pink in the Rink night. Phil Brewer and Adam Pleskach would be credited with the others. Pleskach has scored in three of four games against the Grizzlies. Dan DeSalvo tallied two assists.

LOOKING AHEADThe Oilers will host three teams at the BOK Center during their four-game week.

Wednesday night is $1 hot dog night and the first time the Oilers will face the South Carolina Stingrays in franchise history. The Eastern Conference squad is third in the South Division with a record of 24-16-3-2.

Friday and Saturday night the Oilers welcome the Quad City Mallards to the BOK Center for the first time this season. The two met earlier in October where they each took a win home. Tulsa is 1-1-0 against Quad City this season and 12-9-3 all-time.

The Valentines date on Sunday is between two long-time heart throbs. Division rivals, the Wichita Thunder, come to town where they will play in their 10th game this season against the Oilers. Tulsa is 6-1-1-1 against Wichita.

ROLLING MEADOWS ROOKIE ON ROLLAfter a 14-point month in January, Dan DeSalvo is on a hot streak—a five game point streak as well. The rookie out of Bowling Green State University has produced four points in the first three games of February. The 23 year-old has 37 points in 41 games with the Oilers this season. DeSalvo is fourth among rookies in points (37) and third in assists (26). The forward leads the rookies in the ECHL with a plus-minus of 19.ARMSTRONG ACQUIREDThe Tulsa Oilers announced a trade with the Reading Royals on Sunday that sends forward Riley Armstrong to Tulsa in exchange for future considerations. The veteran from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has suited up for 26 games with the Royals this season, registering 12 points (4 goals and 8 assists) and 40 penalty minutes. Armstrong, 31, spent the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns in Europe totaling 91 games and 97 points. A 5’11 forward, Armstrong played two games in the National Hockey League with the San Jose Sharks in 2008-09 where he inked two penalty minutes.

FANTASY SWEATERSEarlier in December Fans had the opportunity to vote on ECHL.com for one player on each ECHL member team’s ballot to help select the 2015-16 Fantasy Team. This chosen player would wear a specialty jersey at a home game. A goaltender for each team would also wear a unique jersey and participate in the MeiGray Golden Goalie Program. The winners voted upon for the Tulsa Oilers were forward Mathieu Gagnon and goaltender Kevin Carr. These two will debut their ECHL Fantasy Team jerseys this Friday, February 13 against the Quad City Mallards.

EXTRA DROPSKevin Carr is fifth among ECHL goaltenders with a 2.09 goals against average and third in minutes (1948)… Phil Brewer is tied for first in rookie shootout goals with two… Oilers are fourth in shots against averaging 27.49…

Allen Preview from earlier this season:

TONIGHT’S MATCHUPThe Tulsa Oilers and Allen Americans will clash on the ice four times this week. With two away and two at home, Tulsa looks to capture as many points out of the eight possible as they can. Allen, sitting 11 points above the Oilers in standings, has gotten past Tulsa in only three of their seven meetings thus far.

LINE LEADERSThe line of Dan DeSalvo, Phil Brewer and Emerson Clark has continued to prove plentiful. Again and again. These skaters have a combination of 15 points in the last five games—Clark 7, DeSalvo 6 and Brewer 2.

‘HOWE’ DOES HE DO IT?Alongside his competent teammates, Emerson Clark is on quite the roll. With 29 points, Clark has 16 goals and 13 assists (3 goals and 2 assist from Greenville Swamp Rabbits prior to trade). On Saturday, January 9, the forward earned himself a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, three assists and a fight. For some this would be a rare occurrence, but not for Clark. Only three games later he did it again. Saturday (January 16) against the Steelheads, Clark netted two goals, an assist and a fight. Only one game would separate his third Gordie in 15 days. Three consecutive Saturdays Clark would produce.

The forward is fifth in the league with 113 penalty minutes. The last three times Clark has fought in games the Oilers were down and then came back to win (Wichita 01/09, Idaho 01/16, Missouri 01/23).

Clark carries his team in shooting percentage and is fourth in the ECHL at 23.2%. With 16 goals on 69 shots this year, in his last five games, Clark has five goals on 16 shots (31.2%).

EXTRA DROPSKevin Carr is fifth in both goals against average (2.05) and in minutes (1554)…Among rookies in the ECHL, Dan DeSalvo is tied for sixth in scoring with 30 points, fourth in assist with 20 and first in plus/minus at +19… Phil Brewer is tied for first in rookie shootout goals with two…Tulsa is seventh at home on the power play at 20.4%…The Oilers are sixth in goals against per game averaging 2.50 and fifth in shots against with 27.50…