The final meeting between the Tulsa Oilers and the Rapid City Rush would not only end in a 4-3 loss for Tulsa but a loss of blood for many. The Oilers would rack up 119 penalty minutes (226 total) in 60 minutes at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Ice Arena on Saturday night. Adam Pleskach (2 goals) and Christophe Lalancette (2 assists) each achieved a multi-point game.
It was ‘Half Way to Fourth of July’ night in Rapid City as the Rush wore baseball replica jerseys, but the start to the first period alone had more action than a ball game would. Two goals, 69 seconds apart, would be netted just 19 seconds into the contest. The first goal would go to the Oilers. For the second game in a row, Tulsa would cash in on the first lead of the evening thanks to forward Adam Pleskach. The Rush would be quick to respond as they tallied on Kevin Carr at the 18:82 mark—Garrett Clarke was the culprit.
It wouldn’t be enough for the Rush.
Pleskach was sent to the box on a hooking call and Rapid City took advantage down low in front of Carr when Winston Day Chief, Rush point leader, would up his numbers on the season to 21 on the power play goal. The first period ended with a 2-1 deficit for the visiting team.
A second frame missed opportunity on the 5-on-3 Oilers advantage would be avenged seconds into even strength. Quickly after both Rush skaters returned to the ice, Matt Konan and Axel Blomqvist assisted on a Phil Brewer goal to knot up the game at 2 each.
Gloves dropped in the third period, a lot. Emerson Clark would take the first and last punch on Daniel Barczuk and then later in the period go after Rush’s James Melindy and Clarke with an ‘e’. This would not be the end, not even close.
The power play took success for the Rush for the second time of the night. A top shelf goal for Kale Kerbasian off of his back foot burnt Carr and the Rush took back the lead, 3-2. Another goal would refuse to wait more than a few minutes to go in. Rapid City doubled their lead on defenseman Taylor Doherty’s shot. Doherty’s helpers would be Scott Brannon and Mikhail Stefanovich.
Pleskach did not only mark a power play goal at the 9:38 mark but would also stamp his second of the night as he put his team within one at 4-3. Christophe Lalancette would gain his second assist on another Pleskach goal.
Time would about run out but the action would not. Multiple battles, leaving no player dateless, broke out with 27 seconds left. The Rush would take the hockey game but the Oilers would take the boxing match. Unfortunately for the Oilers, points would only be awarded for one. 226 inked the finally tally on penalty minutes between the Oilers and Rush.
The entire three-game, head-to-head series between these two franchises would end in a blood bath and a 4-3 loss for Tulsa.
After four games away, the Oilers return to the BOK Center on Tuesday night to face the league-leading Missouri Mavericks. Puck drops at 7:05 pm.
Looking for things to do in Tulsa?
Below is an Excerpt of a Tulsa Oilers Game
Jeff: Oilers with it. Now they lose it in the Wichita zone. Thunder take it away. Behind the goal is Springer. He gets bumped there. Pass in front. Sent toward the goal by Lalancette. It goes wide to on the net to the corner boards. Now out to the blue line. Kept in at the point by Brisebois. Momentarily now slapped away by the Thunder all the way back in on Kevin Carr. He’ll stop it on his stick and set the play. Oilers send it out again on the neutral ice. Recovered by Oslansky. Landon Oslansky gives it over on the left side to Springer. Now cross rink pass to the right wing. Over the blue line comes Lowe. His shot goes around the goal to the near side. Out in the neutral zone again. Back after it for the Thunder is Martin Nemsick. Nemsick sends it over on the right side. They clear it up the ice back into the Tulsa end.
Oilers get it again. Clear it out in the neutral zone. Brady Ramsey with it. He sends it back to a teammate. Now over to Wong on the right wing. Wong over the blue line into the Wichita zone in the circle is Wong. Center rink pass. Here’s a shot on goal by Ramsey. It went to the side of the goal. Now sent back toward the net off the side of the netting. Cleared to the near side and sent out by Baptista. He is bothered on the way out by the Oilers’ Wong. Now cleared back into the Tulsa zone. Tulsa recovers. They get it again in the neutral zone. Here come the Oilers over the blue line. Dumped off by Nugent. He’ll go to the bench for a line change. Wichita gets the puck in their own end.
Nemsick will leave it there for a teammate Milan. Excuse me, Milan. Dan Milan. It looks like Milan, M-i-l-a-n, like Milan, Italy, but it’s pronounced Milan. End of the corner boards. In the Tulsa end. Slapped around to the near side. Picked up by the Oilers’ DeSalvo. He clears it out in the neutral zone. Here comes Brewer with it. Phil Brewer on the right side gets bumped into the boards. Now cleared away in the neutral zone. Back after it for Tulsa is Dennis Brown. Cross rink pass flipped into the air by Bloomquist back into the Wichita zone in the corner on the nearest side for Brewer. Brewer bumped into the boards there. Has the puck stolen away to the far side momentarily. Brewer will pick up the loose puck. Brewer with it. Out to the blue line.
Now it’s slapped away from Brown and cleared out. DeSalvo recovers at the red line. Gets it to a teammate over on the left side. He’ll bring it back into the Wichita zone. Tulsa applying some good pressure here in the Wichita zone. 16:08 left to play second period. Tulsa with a 1, nothing lead. Oilers with it. Lalancette now. Oilers made a line change. Lalancette steps to the middle. Tried a center ring to Pleskach. He gets bumped into the goal by a pair of Wichita players. The face off will come out of the zone as Pleskach pushes the goal off its boring as he gets bumped into the goal.
