STEELHEADS DEFEAT OILERS IN TULSA’S RETURN HOME

STEELHEADS DEFEAT OILERS IN TULSA’S RETURN HOME

Three power play goals and a short-hander marker fuel Idaho to 5-2 win in Oilers’ return home from season-long road trip.

Box Score

TULSA, OK – In their first home game since New Years Day, the Tulsa Oilers fell 5-2 to the Idaho Steelheads, who recorded three power play goals Saturday at the BOK Center in the first of two meetings between the teams this weekend.

The Steelheads struck first 3:52 into the first period, when Travis Ewanyk snuck a backhander under the cross bar on a 2-on-1. Idaho carried that lead into the first intermission, and then opened things up with three more goals in the first 8:13 of the second period.

Joe Faust buried a wrist shot over the block of Oilers goaltender Colin Stevens on a power play to make it 2-0. Then after a 4-on-4 ended, Branden Troock ripped a shot off Stevens’ shoulder and in for the second Steelheads power play tally. Then on an Oilers man-advantage, Idaho added a short-handed goal, when Conner Chatham beat Stevens out-stretched pad on a breakaway. Tulsa cut the deficit to 4-1 before the second break, when Reid Halabi deflected the puck past Idaho goalie Branden Komm.

The Oilers cut the Steelheads’ lead in half in the third period, when a Chris Joyaux shot ricocheted off of Danick Gauthier and into the net, but Idaho added a third power play goal late in the game in garbage time from Joe Basaraba to complete the 5-2 win for the Steelheads.

UP NEXT: The Oilers and Steelheads will face-off one more time Sunday at the BOK Center. Game time is set for 4:05pm, and fans are welcome to skate with the players on the ice after the game. Then Tulsa hits the road for five games to face Colorado on Wednesday, Utah on next Saturday and Sunday, and Allen twice the following week.

—