(Photo by Kevin Pyle)
Evansville, IN (March 4, 2016)—The Oilers were dealt their fourth consecutive loss on Friday night in Evansville when they were downed by the IceMen 6-2.
The IceMen took a spot on the board at the 9:01 mark when Mike Duco, with his 18 NHL game experience, got the puck past goaltender Kevin Carr on a deflection.
Shortly after, a perfect pass from Phil Brewer to a moving Andrew Johnston completed the power play goal that tied the contest 1-1. Johnston would ink his first goal as an Oiler in his third game and Dennis Brown would register his 27th assist.
The second period allowed five goals—only one belonged to the Oilers. The IceMen outshot the Oilers 16-7.
Evansville regained their lead when Carr, a foot outside of his crease, was beaten by Daultan Leveille who scored for his team-leading 20th goal.
A miraculous save by Carr dazzled the evening as the net minder kept his team trailing by only one for a few more minutes.
Leveille struck again for his second goal of the period when he was sprung on the breakaway at 12:47 and scored over the glove of Carr.
Tyson Fawcett advanced the Evansville lead 10 seconds later. 4-1.
Tulsa made a goaltending change and Jussi Olkinuora entered the net.
Ryan Penny didn’t let the new body in the pipes stop him from a one-timer goal. Jordan Sims and Fawcett were credited with assists.
The Oilers kept in the game when defenseman Connor Kucera took a shot on Christoffer Bengtsberg. The goalie made a pad save that Phil Brewer got a stick on to finish the first 40 minutes 5-2.
The lone goal of the final frame would go to the IceMen with 10:54 left. Rookie Sims finished off a three-point game when he was credited with the power play goal that snuck over the paint past Olkinuora.
A rematch between between the Oilers and IceMen comes tomorrow night in Evansville at 7:15 CST. Tulsa will then travel to Missouri to face the Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.
-#GOilers-
Brisebois is actually a prospect for the Chicago Blackhawks who are quickly becoming the next dynasty in the National Hockey League. Originally signed to the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League, Brisebois was part of a trade that sent him to the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. During the 2014-15 season, Brisebois also spent time with the Indy Fuel where he scored the first goal in franchise history.
As a member of the Tulsa Oilers since the end of November 2015, Brisebois has played in a total of thirty games. He has scored two goals and made six assists while racking up thirty-three penalty minutes.
You can catch both Brady Ramsey and Mathieu Brisebois right here in Tulsa at one of upcoming games this season. You aren’t going to want to miss catching these two players this season. We only have five regular season games at the BOK Center. March 18th and 19th, as well as another back to back set March 29th and 30th. Our fan appreciation night will be on our final game of the regular season, Saturday, April 9th. These games are the perfect events for family fun. Mark some games in your calendar and make way for some super exciting things to do in Tulsa.
Called up to Manitoba is number 21, Ben Walker. Walker was called back to Manitoba a few days ago, making it his second call up of the season. This season, Walker has played two games in a Manitoba sweater. This center has logged a +/- of 1 while with the Canadian affiliate and earned himself two penalty minutes.
Back in his high school days, Walker opted to forgo his senior year at Edina, Minnesota high school where he would have been the team captain. In place of the American graduation, Walker traveled north of the border to play hockey for Victoria in the Western Hockey League. The WHL boasts a faster, more skilled style of hockey than what was offered to him at the high school level in Minnesota. Many of the players that have played WHL have been signed to NHL contracts, in comparison to careers that likely would have ended after high school in Minnesota. This decision cost Walker his NCAA eligibility because players in major juniors are paid to play, however this was a trade off he deemed worth taking. Out of 211 players drafted in the 2011 NHL draft, 101 of those players came from a major junior league. Walker spent three season with the Victoria Royals before signing his first professional contract in 2014.
Walker was assigned to Tulsa but the Manitoba Moose to kick off the season. He didn’t waste any time getting set here in Oklahoma, scoring his first goal with the Oilers on the home opener against Wichita. His first career multi-point game against Missouri on October 30th and was called up to Manitoba for the first time the following week. After a few weeks in Canada, Walker was reassigned to Tulsa until March 1st when he was called back up. Walker has played a total of 29 games in Tulsa, scored seven goals and recorded four assists. He has also received twenty five penalty minutes.
Walker isn’t the only person in the family with a talent on the ice. Ben’s little brother, Jack, is following in his older brother’s footsteps. Jack also decided to take the Western Hockey League route, playing for the same team that hosted his big brother Ben.
Our next focus player is rookie center, Christophe Lalancette. The 2015-2016 season is Lalancette’s first season with a professional team. Previously, he spent time in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with two separate teams, the Acadie-Bathurst Titans and he Drummondville Voltigeurs. Lalancette’s best season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League was in 2013-2014 when he scored sixteen goals and had a whopping forty three assists. The boys ran through an eleven game playoff series where he scored a goal and assisted in ten others, giving him a point for every playoff game that season.
Lalancette was drafted to the San Jose Sharks in 2012, however, he is currently a prospect of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although he started the current season in Wheeling, he made his professional debut with the Tulsa Oilers on November 11th at Wichita. What a lucky day to have your first professional game, 11/11, his wish came true. His first goal was scored against Missouri on November 20th, but the roll didn’t stop there. The very next day, Lalancette had his first multipoint game on his career with two assists on Allen ice and again the next night with a goal and an assist.
