(Photo by Kevin Pyle: www.photopyle.com)
The Oilers rallied late on Friday night against the Thunder, but were unable to close out with a win in overtime, helping the Thunder snap a seven-game losing streak. Andy Huff scored two goals for the Thunder, while Landon Oslanski and Danick Gauthier both registered two points in front of a season-high crowd of 9160 inside the BOK Center.
After a slow start to the game, the Thunder’s Andy Huff scored the first goal off a pointblank shot 15:26 into the game. Kenton Miller and Eric Springer were credited with the assists.
Huff would score the second goal of the game just 2:12 into the second period. Huff tipped in a point shot from Landon Oslanski while the Thunder were on the power play. The tally gave Huff his first two-goal game of the season.
Fired up by a fight from Emerson Clark, the Oilers’ Briant Nugent managed to cut Wichita’s lead in half with only 2:55 remaining in the game. Nugent rifled a feed from Adam Pleskach past goaltender David Shantz.
The Oilers weren’t done scoring there. Axel Blomqvist scored with less than a minute left with a one-timer snapshot on a feed from Dan DeSalvo. This game was Blomqvist’s first appearance as an Oiler after being assigned from Tulsa’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Tulsa couldn’t quite pull off the comeback as Wichita’s Danick Gauthier scored on a tricky wrister from the top of the circles just 1:21 into the overtime period.
The Oilers will get a chance to avenge their loss tomorrow night as they play the Thunder again at the BOK Center. Puck drop for that game is 7:05 p.m.
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Below is an Excerpt a Tulsa Oilers Game
Jeff: It’s cleared away by the Thunder. Back into the neutral zone. All the way back into the Tulsa end. 14:17 left to play third period. A 1, 1 tie. Wong gets it at the blue line. Here comes Wong over to Ramsey. Ramsey in over the blue line. A shot on goal. Goes wide as it’s sticked away by the goaltender. It comes all the way out of the zone. They send it ahead into the Tulsa end. Carr plays it behind the goal. Pass out in front. Backhand. That was a dangerous play there, but it doesn’t go. Neal gets it now for Wichita. He sends it toward the goal. Paxton Laroux was blocking the view of goaltender Carr there in front of the goal standing in front of the crease. Back come the Thunder with it again.
Puck goes into the corner boards. Loose. Now they send it away. Here comes the Oilers with it once again. Over to Konan. Matt Konan leaves it at the blue line. He dumps it off into the corner boards. Konan will stay at the point. Oilers get it behind the net. Cleared around to the far boards. Picked up, however, and cleared away by the Thunder all the way back into the Tulsa end. Konan gets it again for Tulsa back behind his own goal. 13:10 remaining here in the third period of play. A very fast third period of play, honestly. We’ve had only one stoppage of play here in this third period so far. We’ve played 7 minutes with only one stoppage. Got to like that kind of hockey.
Puck goes back into the Wichita end. No play there, honestly, but back comes into the neutral zone. Recovered by the Oilers again. Harstead turns it around for Tulsa ahead for Clark on the left wing. Over the blue line it gets bumped by the Thunder. Flipped in the air, gloved down. Now back in the Tulsa end. Brown gets it for Tulsa. He skates behind the goal. He’s being chased by Gottier. Gets it away to Harstead on the left wing. Cross rink pass to the far side. Nobody there as Tulsa was going for a line change. The right winger was already at the bench. He made a line change there ahead of the play. Now the Thunder bring it back into the Tulsa zone. Stopped by Carr. He’ll leave it on his late pads and smother it. Now we’ve got an official time out. Only the second stoppage of play here in the third period.
Can imagine if I’m winded, the players are winded. 12:17 remaining here in the third period of play. Tied at 1. 1, 1 is our score. Shots on goal. Wichita 32, Tulsa with 23 total shots so far in this game. Following tonight’s game, we’ll head back to Tulsa for a few days off. Team will have practice, obviously, but no games over the next few days. Then we’ll jump on the bus this week. Not sure when we’re leaving, but we are going to be playing in Rapid City, South Dakota this coming Thursday night, New Year’s Eve. We’ll be in Rapid City, South Dakota Thursday night. Then on January 2nd, next Saturday night, also in Rapid City, South Dakota. We hope that you folks will listen in along Ustream.TV to the audio or watch the video and our audio live on ECHL TV as we head up to Rapid City, South Dakota.
I’ve never been to Rapid City. I’ve been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota many times. I think about 5 times I’ve been to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which is in the southeastern corner of the state. Rapid City’s in the southwestern corner of the state. Rapid City is really close by to Mount Rushmore. I’m really hoping to get to see Mount Rushmore I suppose in the middle of winter. I’m hoping to see Mount Rushmore when we’re there next week. That would be a fun trip.
Back into the Wichita zone goes the puck. Tulsa with it. Now the Thunder come away with it. Cleared out in the neutral ice. Back is Neal with the puck. Along the boards on the far side, he gets bumped there by Brisebois. The puck goes free now out to Lutz on the left wing. Lutz brings it in to the blue line. Sends it right in on goal. The goaltender Shantz will just glove it in and smother it for a face off in the Wichita zone … 11:38 left to play in the third period. Face off to the right of the goaltender Shantz. David Shantz in the Wichita end. Out goes behind the goal on the draw. Out in the neutral ice. Sova slaps it away for the Oilers. It’s sent ahead by Lalancette into the corner. Bloomquist skated after it, but he got beat to puck. It comes out to the blue line. Kept in by Sova. He gets a shot to the head there. Wow. No call by the ref.
