Oilers @ Steelheads Tonight: Game Preview

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

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

Tulsa Oilers @ Idaho Steelheads – 7:10 p.m. MST Century Link Arena

Watch on ECHL-TV

Listen on Ustream

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

1-2-0-0

TEAM CAPSULES

Tulsa Oilers

Overall: 16-13-2-2 (36 points)

Home: 9-6-2-1

Road: 7-7-0-1

Rank: 3rd in Central Division

Idaho Steelheads

Overall: 17-16-4-1 (39 points)

Home: 8-6-2-1

Road: 9-10-2-0

Rank: 2nd in West Division

OILERS LEADERS

Goals:  Adam Pleskach – 13

Assists:  DeSalvo – 16

Points: Adam Pleskach – 26

+/-: Dennis Brown +15

PIM: Emerson Clark – 95

STEELHEADS LEADERS

Goals:  Jefferson Dahl – 15

Assists: Rob Linsmayer – 24

Points:  Rob Linsmayer – 34

+/-:  Rob Linsmayer,, +9

PIM:  Andrew Carroll – 82

TULSA VS. IDAHO ALL-TIME

Overall: 1-2-0

Home: 1-1-0

Road: 0-1-0

TONIGHTS MATCHUPTulsa’s first visit to Boise, Idaho has not started off smoothly but redemption can come tonight as the Oilers will face the Steelheads in part two of a back-to-back battle. Last night in Century Link Arena Idaho swiped a 2-1 victory from the Oilers in front of a nearly sold out crowd. Tulsa has welcomed the Steelheads to the BOK Center earlier in December (12/10 & 12/11) when the squads split a pair, taking two points apiece. Will they split another weekend series in Idaho tonight?LIT LINEThe line of Dan DeSalvo, Phil Brewer and Emerson Clark has continued to prove plentiful. Last Saturday’s contest against the Thunder, this line produced a combination of 11 points. Among ECHL rookies, DeSalvo is ninth overall with 31 points and Brewer leads the pack in shootout goals.

Just last night, they did it again. DeSalvo tallied the assist on Clark’s lone Oilers goal, giving the rookie from Bowling Green State University five points in his last three games.

FORTUNE OF 500Not long after becoming the most winning coach in the ECHL, Oilers’ leader Jason Christie is with 499 victories. Christie’s next win will be his 500th.

TIME OUTOn Saturday, January 2, Tulsa participated in a battle against the Rapid City Rush that resulted in a total of 216 penalty minutes (109 Oilers, 107 Rush). Of these Oiler minutes, seven were majors and six were game misconducts. See Final Box Score.As a result of this scrap against the Rush, three Oilers skaters were suspended. Kevin Carr and Emerson Clark will return to the lineup against the Steelheads, however, Mathieu Gagnon still has four more games to serve.

Forward Mathieu Gagnon:Tulsa’s Mathieu Gagnon has been suspended for eight games – five games for leaving the players’ bench under Rules 70.3 /70.10 to begin an altercation at the conclusion of the game and an additional three games under Rule 28 – Supplemental Discipline for continuing an altercation at the conclusion of the game. He will miss Tulsa’s games vs. Missouri (Jan. 5), at Wichita (Jan. 8), vs. Wichita (Jan. 9), at Utah (Jan. 13),   at Idaho (Jan. 15 and Jan. 16) and at Missouri (Jan. 22 and Jan. 23).

EXTRA DROPSMathieu Gagnon’s individual game penalty minute high is 30… Tulsa is 11-3-1 when scoring first… Kevin Carr is back in the Oilers lineup and is ranked eighth among ECHL goaltenders with a 2.01 goals against average… Tulsa is fourth in penalty minutes at 564…The Oilers do not return to the BOK Center until January 26th…

Are you looking for things to do in Tulsa?

Below is an Excerpt from a Tulsa Oilers Game

Jeff: Jason Christie. Back with you in the pregame show. Joining us now, head coach of the Tulsa Oilers, Jason Christie. Coach Christie, coming off that win at Allen, Texas this past Monday night, there was a nice little comeback there in the third period. The team really played well.

Jason: Yeah, they did. Took us a while to get going there. We were able to sustain the pressure. [Carter 00:00:32] made some key saves. I think just coming out and going through bodies and eliminating their speed up front. I think it helped us.

Jeff: It really looked like the Oilers controlled that third period of play actually on Monday night. You have to be happy with having the upper hand in that situation.

Jason: It’s a good team, so you always have to be ready to go. Obviously that one’s done, and we got to be ready here for Wichita. The guys haven’t skated for a couple days, so it’s good to be. Got to have a simple game out of us. We got to make sure we eliminate turnovers. It’s going to be one of those games. The less turnovers is going to win the game.

Jeff: We have a couple of days off because of the holiday. The guys should be fresh, though, however. Is that hopefully playing to the advantage of the team? Maybe a couple days rest?

Jason: Yeah, they back in the swing of things here. Any time after Christmas it separates the men from the boys. You got to be ready to go. This is the time of year where 2 points are huge each and every night.

Jeff: This is not a team that you’re unfamiliar with, obviously. You’ve played Wichita now 6 times already this season coming into tonight’s game. Split the 2 games at home last weekend. There’s going to be a lot of Tulsa fans here. A bus came up from Tulsa, so hopefully it won’t be too unfamiliar a surrounding.

Jason: Yeah. Again, you know, it’s something where we got to come up. They like to run and gun and stay high. We got to make sure we eliminate that and build the energy for ourselves.

Jeff: All righty coach, go get them tonight.

Jason: Thanks a lot.

Jeff: All right. We’ll be back with the starting lineup and the opening faceoff in just a moment. You’re listening to Tulsa Oilers.

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