Tulsa returns home after 14-game road trip and tops Colorado 5-3, ending the defending champions’ 7-game winning streak.
TULSA, OK – 41 days removed from their last home game, the Tulsa Oilers returned home from a season-long road trip and defeated the Colorado Eagles 5-3 Friday at the BOK Center. The win was Tulsa’s third straight, and also snapped the Eagles’ 13-game point streak and 7-game winning streak.
The Oilers jumped out to a fast start when newcomer Mark Bennett scored 1:20 into the game on his first shift. Colorado evened the score at 1-1, when Ben Storm deflected a shot into the net at 7:50 of the frame. The Eagles gained the lead when ECHL-leading scorer Michael Joly snapped a shot over the blocker of Oilers goaltender Jake Hildebrand with 2:01 left in the period.
Early in the second period, Colorado added to its lead when Collin Bowman stepped up from the point and cleaned up a rebound in front of the net to give the Eagles a 3-1 lead. Tulsa staged a comeback, when Kale Kessy swept a loose puck past Eagles goaltender Joe Cannata to close the Oilers’ deficit to one. Tommy Vannelli then tied the score at 3-3 when he snapped a rebound from the right circle into the top of the net.
Tulsa completed the comeback when Chris Joyaux blasted a shot from the left point past Cannata to put the Oilers back in front 4-3. Hildebrand stopped all 13 shots in the final stanza and had 41 saves in the game. Garrett Ladd a late empty net goal with 18 seconds left to cap the 5-3 victory.
The Oilers will next host the Allen Americans Saturday at 7:05pm at the BOK Center. Tickets are available by visiting www.tulsaoilers.com or calling 918-632-7825.
Saturday is Tulsa’s annual Teddy Bear Toss, benefiting the Salvation Army. Bring as many new Teddy Bears as you can carry into the arena and toss them on the ice when the Oilers score their first goal. Tulsa will also wear Ugly Christmas Sweater jerseys that night, which will be auctioned off after the game in the OneOK Club at the BOK Center
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