Oil Drops: Weekly Report 12/28

LAST WEEK’S RESULTSMonday, Dec. 21 – @ Allen Americans (3-1 W) Watch HighlightsSaturday, Dec. 26 – @ Wichita Thunder (2-1 W-SO) Watch Highlights

THIS WEEK’S GAMESThursday, Dec. 31 – @ Rapid City Rush, 7:35 p.m.Saturday, Jan. 2 – @ Rapid City Rush, 8:05 p.m.

TEAM CAPSULEOverall: 13-10-2-1Home: 8-6-2-0Road: 5-4-0-1Rank: 3rd in Central Division

TEAM LEADERSGoals: Emerson Clark – 10Assists: Dennis Brown – 14Points: Adam Pleskach, Dan DeSalvo – 19+/-: Dennis Brown, +13PIM: Mathieu Gagnon – 62

WEEK IN REVIEWThis past week the Oilers captured all four points available to them. With two road victories, one in Allen and another in Wichita, Tulsa went 2-0-0-0, upping their win streak to three.

Monday night the Oilers fought for a huge 3-1 win over the Allen Americans. Emerson Clark, Adam Pleskach and Brady Ramsay all scored goals to help their boys move a little closer to the Americans’ second place Central Division ranking.

After a few days off during the holiday break, the Oilers traveled north to Wichita on Saturday where they were able to claim their second straight shootout win against the Thunder. Kevin Carr performed spectacularly in the net and was awarded the first star of the night after stopping 37 of 38 regulation shots. Defenseman Dennis Brown scored the lone regulation goal while Pleskach and Brandon Wong both tallied in the shootout.

LOOKING AHEADBack on the road this week, the Oilers travel to Rapid City, SD to take on the Rush for their second and third meetings of the season. Tulsa welcomed the Rush earlier in December (12/2) to the BOK Center where they suffered a 4-2 loss. This New Year’s Eve, the Oilers look for revenge on the team who they are currently tied with at 29 points.

PENALTY MURDERERSIn their last five contests, the Oilers have gone a total of 19/22 on the penalty kill. In their last three games, Tulsa has been a perfect 14/14.

NINJA GOALIEGoaltender Kevin Carr has started in each of the Oilers’ last 14 games and ranks fourth in the ECHL. With 1,141 minutes played this season, Carr is 11-7-1-0 with a 1.89 goals against average. Carr ranks second in the league for both minutes played and shootout wins.

ROLLING MEADOWS NATIVE ON ROLLRookie forward Dan DeSalvo is currently on a five game point streak. DeSalvo joins the Oilers this season in his first professional campaign after time with Bowling Green State University (14 goals as a freshman) the last four years. The Illinois product has played in 24 games with the Oilers and has registered 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists)—ranking 11th among rookies in the ECHL.

EXTRA DROPSThe Oilers defense is firm as they rank fourth in the ECHL for shots against at 26.77…If the playoffs started today, the Oilers would have a spot sealed… Phil Brewer leads rookies in shootout goals going 2/2…

-#GOilers-

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Below is an Excerpt of a Tulsa Oilers Game

Jeff: At 17:33. It’s a 1,1 tie. We’re now at 2:04. There is a time out. An official time out on the ice. We’re at 2:04 left to go here in this second period of play. Unfortunately, the Wichita Thunder have tied the game at 1 … Mike Neal scoring the goal for Wichita. His brother is James Neal who plays for the Nashville Predators, actually, in the National Hockey League. We’ve got a face off coming up now in the Tulsa end. This will be left to goaltender Carr. DeSalvo will take the draw for Tulsa against Nelson. The Thunder win the draw. They keep it in the Tulsa zone. There is a penalty to the Oilers’ number 24. In the penalty box is Aaron Harstead. That was called during the time out, so apparently they sent Harstead to the penalty box for roughing. Harstead, 2 minutes for roughing. Wichita now with their fourth power play opportunity of the game.

They just tied the game 1, 1. Wichita now with the man advantage. Puck off the boards on the near side. It goes into the Tulsa end. Here’s a backhander. Saved by Carr as he sprawls on the ice. Nice play by Carr to stop that puck from Nelson, who tried to put it on a backhander on a breakaway. Now the puck in the corner. Oilers get it there slapped around the boards by Lalancette to the near side. Tulsa having to kill off a penalty here. Now off the boards and out of the zone, back into the Wichita end with a minute remaining in the period.

Under a minute left in the penalty to Tulsa’s … Oh, sheesh. Harstead. I couldn’t remember who I said. Aaron Harstead in the penalty box. There’s less penalty time than time in the period and it’s about a 4 second differential. Puck goes into the corner into the Tulsa end. Now it’s loose. Played away in front. Kept at the point by Nemseck to the top of the slot. Oslansky shot, rebound, kick save, rebounded again. Now cleared away. 25 seconds left in the period. 21 seconds left in the power play for Wichita. Now cleared away. Springer gets it in his own zone for the Thunder. In 7 seconds, Tulsa will get their man out of the box. Springer brings it out of the zone for the Thunder. Into the neutral zone it gets bumped away. Harstead out of the penalty box. Tulsa to full strength. 4 seconds. Now that’s it. That’s the horn. That’ll end the second period of play.

However, Wichita tied it up in that second period with a goal by Michael Neal. It is nodded at 1. We’ve played 2 periods of hockey, 40 minutes of hockey gone. It is Tulsa and Wichita tied at one after 2 periods of play. We’ll take a break. We’ll come back with our second intermission when we continue. You’re listening to Tulsa Oilers hockey.

Speaker 6: System operator.

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