Oilers Host Thunder Tonight: Game Preview

(Photo by Kevin Pyle www.photopyle.com) 

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

Tulsa Oilers vs. Wichita Thunder – 7:05 p.m. at BOK CenterWatch on ECHL-TVListen on Ustream

PREVIOUS MEETINGS2-1-1-0

TEAM CAPSULESTulsa OilersOverall: 10-10-1-1 (22 points)Home: 7-6-1-0Road: 3-4-0-1Rank: 3rd in Central Division

Wichita ThunderOverall: 6-17-0-1 (13 points)Home: 5-6-0-1Road: 1-11-0-0Rank: 4th in Central Division

OILERS LEADERSGoals: Emerson Clark – 9Assists: Dennis Brown – 14Points: Adam Pleskach – 16+/-: Dennis Brown +12PIM: Mathieu Gagnon – 60

THUNDER LEADERSGoals: Ian Lowe, Danick Gauthier, Kenton Miller– 5Assists: Peter Sakaris – 9Points: Peter Sakaris – 13+/-: Ian Lowe, -16PIM: Dan Milan- 41

TULSA VS. WICHITA ALL-TIMEOverall: 135-107-26Home: 73-47-13Road: 62-60-14

TONIGHT’S MATCH-UPThe Oilers go head-to-head tonight against Central Division rivals the Wichita Thunder in the first of back-to-back meetings in Tulsa. The Oilers are coming off of a win against Missouri on Sunday where they snapped a 14-game winning streak. The Thunder are on a streak of their own—seven straight losses (11 straight on the road). The last visit with the squad from Kansas resulted in a 4-2 victory for the Oilers on November 28. Tulsa is 2-1-1-0 this season against Wichita.

CARR CONTINUES TO CONTINUEGoaltender Kevin Carr has started in each of the Oilers’ last 10 games and ranks fourth in the ECHL. With 891 minutes played this season, Carr is 8-7-0-0 with a 1.95 goals against average.

BROWNIE POINTSRight-winger Dennis Brown continues to climb up the point ladder. Brown leads the Oilers with 14 assists and has recorded a +12. The Western Michigan University product spent the last two seasons under Coach Christie’s wing as well when he played for the Ontario Reign. In 47 games during the 2014-2015 campaign, Brownie registered 14 assists total—his current number in only 19 games with Tulsa.

STREAK STRIKERSOn Sunday the Oilers snapped the Missouri Maverick’s franchise historic 14-game winning streak. With three multi-point players (DeSalvo 1g/1a, Clark 1g/1a, Konan 2a), a strong power play (2 PP goals) and a quick goalie, the Oilers broke down the hottest team in the ECHL 4-3.

AARON ACQUIREDLast week, the Tulsa Oilers were assigned rookie defenseman Aaron Harstad from the Manitoba Moose. The Wisconsin native has played in seven games for Manitoba this season and now three for the Oilers where he has produced two goals since his arrival. The Colorado College product was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the seventh round (187th overall) in 2011.

EXTRA DROPSDennis Brown ranks 16th in the ECHL among defensemen with 15 points… Dan DeSalvo is ranked 15th amongst ECHL Rookies with 15 points… Tulsa is the only team in the league to have not allowed a shorthanded goal… This Saturday the Oilers will host an ugly sweater specialty jersey night—jerseys will be auctioned off following the contest…

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Below is an Excerpt a Tulsa Oilers Game

Jeff: A 1, 1 tie. 7 minutes remaining. Third period here. Shot on goal. Blocker pads save by Carr. Tulsa gets the puck in their own end. Brewer sends it across ice and it goes into the Wichita zone as the Oilers make a line change. Thunder bring it back on the right side. Springer drop pass. Back to Springer to Nelson. Nelson takes it behind the net. Has it poke checked away. Nice play by Brisebois. Mathiru Brisebois with it knocks it away. Behind the goal, Wichita recovers again. Tries to put it in front. Puck goes over the goal. Now behind the net they get bumped there. Couple of players on the ice. Fans want a penalty. No call.

Puck gets loose on the near side. Recovered by Nelson. Logan Nelson sends it out to the point and sends it now toward the goal. Now behind the net the Oilers recover. Brisebois. He gets bumped into boards on the far side. Gets some help there from Brandon Wong. Wong has it poke checked away. Back into the corner boards again. 2 players collide and go down. Fans want a penalty. No call. That was incidental contact there. They just didn’t see each other coming and ran into each other. Puck goes on the side of the net. Now behind the goal. Sides loses his stick. 2 sticks on the ice. Joey picks up his stick. There’s still a stick on the ice. No player to connect with that one. That player may have gone to the bench. Not sure.

Now Ramsey gets hit. No penalty there. Now we’ve got a penalty call by the linesman. I think we’ve got too many men on the ice. We either have a bench minor … What is the call? Well, I can tell you this. There’s a time out. Both teams went to the benches. Both penalty box doors are open. I don’t know what in the world they’re calling, if anything. Could be that they’re not calling anything. No, they are. They’ve got to be calling something. Indeed. One of the Wichita players is coming over to the bench, the penalty box now. It’s going to be Nelson in the penalty box. I think it is too many men on the ice, because the linesman appeared to make the call in the neutral zone and blew the whistle and pointed at the Wichita bench. I think there were too many men on the ice for Wichita on that line change.

Yeah, they’re now announcing it. Bench minor. Too many men on the ice by the Wichita Thunder. Tulsa will have its 6th power play chance of this game. Tulsa already 0 for 5 on the power play tonight and a 6th power play opportunity coming up. That is Logan Nelson serving the bench minor in the penalty box for Wichita. It comes at 14:24 of this third period. 14:24 of the period. Tulsa with a man advantage. A 1, 1 tie. The Oilers on another York Plumbing power play opportunity. Oilers with the puck in their own zone. Brown with it through the center circle. Drops the pass to DeSalvo. He comes over the blue line with the puck. DeSalvo steps in front. Center ring pass. Goes clear to the near side. We’ve got a late penalty. I think this is going to be against Wichita as well. I think Tulsa’s going to have a 2 man advantage.