OILERS POT HISTORIC 10 GOALS IN DOMINANT VICTORY
Oilers score an ECHL-era high 10 goals, McLaughlin tallies ECHL-era high six points in 10-4 rout of Steelheads
TULSA, Okla. —The Tulsa Oilers, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks and the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and powered by Community Care, won 10-4 against the Idaho Steelheads at the BOK Center on Saturday night.
Bair Gendunov opened the scoring, popping a bouncing puck through Jake Kielly 5:04 into the game on the power play to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Alec Butcher put the Oilers up 2-0 1:20 later, jamming a scramble into the back of the net. Jade Miller halved Tulsa’s lead 36 seconds later, powering a snapper off a turnover beyond Julian Junca. Colton Kehler leveled the game 2-2 with 5:30 left in the period, sending the game tied into the middle frame.
Jarod Hilderman opened the scoring in the second period with a power-play, one-time blast from the left circle 3:20 into the frame, putting the Oilers ahead 3-2. Eddie Matsushima scored in his fourth-straight outing 2:36 later, restoring the Oilers; earlier two-goal lead. Kyle Crnkovic notched the Oilers fifth of the game with a five-hole breakaway finish with 4:01 left in the second. Blake McLaughlin set Tulsa up 6-2 less than a minute later before scoring his second of the frame with 3:01 left, finishing a two-on-zero pass from Luka Profaca, making it a 7-2 Tulsa lead heading into the third frame.
A.J. White hammered home a power-play clapper 30 seconds into the final frame, bringing the Steelheads within four. McLaughlin earned a hat trick 5:43 into the period to set the score 8-3. McLaughlin followed up with his fourth of the game — breaking the Oilers’ record for most ECHL points in a game with six — one second into the back half of the final period. Butcher followed up with his second of the game with his team-leading, fifth power-play goal of the season, breaking the Oilers’ record for most goals in an ECHL game set in Tulsa’s inaugural outing on Oct. 24, 2014 against the Allen Americans. Demetrios Koumontzis closed the score line 10-4, scoring with 1:06 left in the game.
The Oilers and Steelheads close a three-in-three tomorrow, Feb. 25 at 4:05 p.m. at the BOK Center.
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