GRIZZLIES OUTLAST OILERS IN HEART-POUNDING SHOOTOUT

GRIZZLIES OUTLAST OILERS IN HEART-POUNDING SHOOTOUT

Utah leans heavily on their top line in a 5-4 shootout win at the Maverik Center.

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT— Tulsa picked up a point but eventually fell to the Grizzlies 5-4 in a shootout at the Maverik Center on Saturday.

Adam Pleskach looked off the defenseman and fooled Martin Oulette before ripping a puck top shelf 5:09 into the game to open the scoring. Mitch Maxwell answered with his second of the season 2:42 later, roofing the puck from the left-wing circle after Travis Barron found him with a cross-zone pass. Griffen Molino gave his team their first lead of the night, scoring from the right-wing circle less than two minutes later. Cam Knight evened things up with 7:26 remaining in the frame, squeezing the puck through Oulette after Jared Thomas found him open on the power play.

Tim McGauley picked up yet another multi-point night, cutting his way in front of the net before beating Olle Eriksson Ek high at the 13:02 mark. Miles Liberati answered quickly though, scoring less than a minute later when he blasted the puck from inside the blue line, through traffic and into the back of the net. Liberati’s goal gave him three points on the night, meaning he had his fingerprints on all the first three Oilers’ goals.

The third period was just as close as the rest of the contest. Pleskach opened the scoring in the final frame 11:28 into the period, following up on Thomas’ left-circle rip, before outlasting Oulette and depositing the puck along the ice. Ty Lewis scored his twelfth of the year, scoring with 2:20 remaining on a delayed penalty.

The overtime period was not as even as regulation. Jake Clifford headed to the box for boarding at the 3:35 mark of the frame, allowing the Grizzlies to set up a shooting gallery on the four-on-three. However, Eriksson Ek stopped all 10 shots he faced in the period, including some save-of-the-year candidates.

The shootout was a mirror of regulation, lasting five rounds, and with both teams missing in round two before Maxwell closed the game out.

The Oilers look to pick up their first win of the season at the Maverik Center on Monday in the last game of 2019.

Oilers Season and Group Tickets are on sale now! Call the Oilers front office at 918-632-PUCK (7825) or visit www.tulsaoilers.com for more information.

—