Oilers Drop to Grizzlies, 4-3

(Photo by Josie Vimahi)

West Valley City, UT (March 25, 2016)–The Tulsa Oilers fell in the second of a three-game series against the Utah Grizzlies in West Valley City on Friday night. Phil Brewer, Connor Kucera and Andrew Johnston each secured two-point games.

The first period of hockey found action in it’s last five minutes. With 4:08 left to go, Charles Sarault scored for the Grizzlies and Utah took a 1-0 lead for the second straight night. Similar to Wednesday night’s scenario, the Oilers produced first on the power play. Thirty seconds into the man advantage, defenseman Kucera found the back of the net for his seventh of the season with help from Johnston and Mathieu Bisebois. In back-to-back shots, Tulsa scored again. With three seconds left in the first frame Shawn Bates made his Oilers debut. In his first game with Tulsa, Bates gave his new team a goal advantage before heading into the locker room. Brewer earned an assist.

Starting 56 seconds in, the Utah Grizzlies notched three goals in the second period. T.J. Syner was credited with the first and tied the contest. Utah’s Erik Higby then blasted two in a row. Higby’s first was at the 17:52 mark and then again five minutes later to lead 4-2. Alex Krushelnyski took assists on both. Brewer from Kucera put the Oilers back within a goal (4-3) three minutes left in the second period and inked each their second point of the night.

The third and final frame remained scoreless throughout 20 minutes as the Oilers were outshot 9-2 by the Grizzlies.

A final match-up between the Tulsa Oilers and Utah Grizzlies is tomorrow night when the squads are back in the Maverick Center in West Valley City, Utah at 7 p.m. MST.