ELECTRIC THIRD PERIOD LIFTS OILERS OVER STEELHEADS
Tulsa scores three unanswered third-period goals to defeat Idaho, bringing the season series 4-1 in the Oilers’ favor.
BOISE, ID— The Oilers rode a three-goal third period and a 34-save performance from Olle Eriksson Ek to defeat the Steelheads 4-1 at CenturyLink Arena on Wednesday.
Neither squad found the back of the net in the opening frame, with Jake Kupsky stopping 10 shots in his ECHL debut. Eriksson Ek stopped all six chances sent his way in the opening 20 minutes.
The deadlock was broken 6:06 into the second frame when Jacob Benson tipped Charlie Granath’s point blast into the back of the net. Jeff King answered at the 9:03 mark, walking in all alone off a turnover to tie the game.
The Oilers surged in the final frame, starting at the 8:38 mark with Danny Moynihan’s 12th of the season. Moynihan popped the puck into the back of the net off a feed from Adam Pleskach. Former Steelhead Jack Nevins, who picked up the secondary assist, started Moynihan’s go-ahead goal with a dump-and-chase play. Benson tallied his second of the night at the 12:12 mark of the period, once again displaying his top-notch hand-eye coordination by batting Jake Clifford’s cross-zone laser past Kupsky, bringing the score to 3-1. Moynihan sealed the 4-1 win with a short-handed empty netter from his own zone at the 17:44 mark of the third period.
Eriksson Ek stopped 34 of 35 shots, earning Tully Law Firm first-star honors for the second-straight night, allowing the Oilers to take a 4-1 series lead over the Steelheads.
The Oilers will rematch the Steelheads at CenturyLink Arena on Friday and Saturday night at 8:10 p.m. CST.
