Oilers @ Mavericks Tonight: Game Preview

(Photo by Kevin Pyle – www.photopyle.com)

TONIGHT’S MATCHUPTulsa Oilers @ Missouri Mavericks – 7:05 p.m.Watch on ECHL-TV Listen on Ustream

PREVIOUS MEETINGS2-1-1-1

TEAM CAPSULESTulsa OilersOverall: 17-13-2-2 (38 points)Home: 9-6-2-1Road: 8-7-0-1Rank: 3rd in Central Division

Missouri Mavericks

Overall: 30-4-1-1 (62 points)

Home: 13-0-0-0

Road: 17-4-1-1

Rank: 1st in Central Division

OILERS LEADERS

Goals: Emerson Clark – 14

Assists: DeSalvo – 17

Points: Clark, Pleskach, DeSalvo – 26

+/-: Dennis Brown +17

PIM: Emerson Clark – 102

MAVERICKS LEADERS

Goals: Jesse Root – 16

Assists: Tyler Barnes – 25

Points: Tyler Barnes – 40

+/-: Tyler Barnes, +22

PIM: Andrew Courtney – 42

TULSA VS. MISSOURI ALL-TIME

Overall: 17-38-5

Home: 9-17-5

Road: 8-21-0

TONIGHTS MATCHUPThe Oilers have met up with Missouri five times this season, however, only in Tulsa territory (2-1-1-1). Tonight the Oilers will head to Independence, Missouri to visit the league leading Mavericks where the home team owns a perfect record in their barn (13-0-0-0).

Of the six losses Missouri possess, Tulsa handed them two—one breaking their franchise-high 14-game winning streak. Each game between these two squads has been decided by one-goal and is expected to be a good one.

Emerson Clark leads the Missouri series for the Oilers with three goals. Maverick’s Jesse Root is currently on a 14-game point streak.

FORTUNE OF 500December 10, 2015 the Oilers’ 4-2 win over the Idaho Steelheads was a memorable one as Head Coach Jason Christie set the ECHL record for all-time wins with his 492nd career victory. A similar experience occurred on Saturday, January 16, 2016 when the Oilers earned, again, 4-2 victory over the Idaho Steelheads and provided Christie with the status of being the only coach in the ECHL to achieve 500 wins.

LIT LINEThe line of Dan DeSalvo, Phil Brewer and Emerson Clark has continued to prove plentiful. These skaters have a combination of 19 points in the last four games—Clark 8, DeSalvo 6 and Brewer 5.

‘HOWE’ DOES HE DO IT?Alongside his competent teammates, Emerson Clark is on quite the roll. Leading the Oilers with 26 points, Clark has 14 goals and 12 assists (3 goals and 2 assist from Greenville Swamp Rabbits prior to trade). On Saturday, January 9, the forward earned himself a Gordie Howe Hat Trick with a goal, three assists and a fight. For some this would be a rare occurrence, but not for Clark. Only three games later he did it again. In Saturday’s contest against the Steelheads, Clark netted two goals, an assist and a fight. The Arizona native leads the Oilers leads his team in goals, points and penalty minutes.

EXTRA DROPSEmerson Clark is fifth in the ECHL with 102 penalty minutes… Tulsa is 11-0-0-0 when leading after the second period…Tulsa is fourth in penalty minutes at 577… Dan DeSalvo is tied for fifth among rookies with 26 points (9 goals, 17 assists) and third among fellow rookies with a +15 recording…The Oilers do not return to the BOK Center until January 26th…