(Photo by Kevin Pyle – www.photopyle.com)
Goaltender Jussi Olkinuora earned first-star honors in his first game back with the Oilers, propelling the Tulsa Oilers past the Wichita Thunder, Sunday.
Axel Blomqvist scored the overtime game-winning goal and forward Adam Pleskach scored the lone Oilers goal in regulation.
It appeared there would be no scoring during the first two periods of the game, but Pleskach found the back of the net at the 19:58 mark of the second period. The goal was Pleskach’s 18th on the season and ties him with forward Emerson Clark — who is currently on loan with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL — for most Oilers goals this season. Dan Sesalvo and Phil Brewer tallied the assists on the goal. That assist gives DeSalvo points in nine straight games and points in 14 straight home games.
Wichita wanted to make sure that Tulsa didn’t capitalize on the momentum from their late period goal, scoring just 1:52 into the third period. Erick Lizon tapped in a faceoff win from Domenic Alberga.
Goalies Jussi Olkinuora and Grant Rollheiser would duel the rest of the game, forcing the contest into overtime.
Christophe Lalancette won a faceoff to Blomqvist at the 1:58 mark of Overtime. Blomqvist gathered the puck and sneaked it past Rollheiser to crown the Oilers victorious. The goal gives Blomqvist tallies in back-to-back games and three goals in his last four games.
The Oilers will go on the road to face the 1st place Missouri Mavericks on Tuesday. Puck drop will be at 7:05 p.m., and fans will be able to watch on ECHL TV and Ustream.
If you and your family are looking for things to do in Tulsa, Oklahoma next weekend, look no more. The Tulsa Oilers got your back! With games Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you can find the game that fits your schedule, or come to all of them. Realistically, we know you’ll be at all of them because once you come to one, you will enjoy it so much you aren’t going to want to leave. It fine. We completely understand your love for the Tulsa Oilers. After all the Oilers have been a Tulsa tradition since 1992. That’s 14 years years of being a part of the community.
The state of the art BOK Center is home to the Tulsa Oilers, however they hasn’t always been the case. The Oilers were once housed in the BOK Center’s sister the Convention Center. Before the Wichita Thunder and the Allen Americans were the top rivals to the Tulsa Oilers, the Tulsa Oilers took the 1992 Championship from their Turnpike Rivals. This was the first season the Oilers brought the William “Bill” Levins Memorial Cup home to Tulsa. Time have changed, and the Blazers are no longer in Oklahoma City. The Oilers most heated rivalries stem from the states north and south of Oklahoma in Kansas and Texas. This season, the Oilers will look to achieve the ECHL’s highest honor, the Kelly Cup. Make sure you head out to a game to support them on their quest to victory.
The Tulsa Oilers have a Hit the Books program. A partnership with local schools to reward kids with tickets to an Oilers game for reading more books. We recognize the importance of developing our future and want to reward kids for cracking open a book and enhancing their knowledge. Another program we offer to students is Grades for Blades where student have the opportunity to trade in a report card with good grades for tickets to an upcoming game! The Oilers know that studying makes school your buddy! Be a part of the fun. Read some books and keep your grades up for an awesome time at one of our games.
The Tulsa Oilers players and staff want to wish Captain Nathan Lutz a very happy birthday. Nathan has spent the past three years calling Tulsa home. Nathan plays a vital role both on the bench and in the locker room and we value his addition to the team greatly. He may be number four on the ie, but he’s number one in our hearts. Happy Birthday, Nathan!!
Have you ever tried to find a new event that everyone in the family will enjoy? If you haven’t tried an Oilers game, that needs to move to the top of your list. There are great events for everyone in the family. From sons and daughter, moms and dads, grandparents and great-grandparent- your entire family is sure to have a fabulous time spending the evening with the Tulsa Oilers. You could even plan a family reunion right here in the BOK Center. There are tons of events going on around the concourse, an exciting game happening on the ice, and a ton of great food to enjoy while you hang out with us. There is no reason to keep looking for things to do in Tulsa, just pop on over to our website or pick up a pocket schedule and find the next game so you don’t have to delay any fun. We will see you soon!
