CHL Tulsa Oilers

Flath Spoils Oilers Comeback Bid, Thunder Prevails 5-4

Published on March 15, 2014 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


WICHITA, KS - The Tulsa Oilers rallied from a three-goal deficit on Saturday night only to see their comeback bid fall short in a 5-4 loss to the Wichita Thunder at INTRUST Bank Arena. Thunder forward R.G. Flath notched the game-winning goal with just 2:22 remaining in regulation to give Wichita its second straight victory over Tulsa and send the Oilers to their fourth consecutive loss.

After allowing their opponent to strike first for the fifth straight contest, the Oilers evened the game at 1-1 at the 14:24 mark of the first period. Kyle Bochek's drive to the net was stopped by David Brown but Tulsa rookie Blair Macaulay was there to shovel home the rebound for his 13th goal of the season. The final five minutes of the period quickly dissolved into disaster for the Oilers. Andrew Martens long-range slap shot flew past the glove of Tulsa goalie Brad Fogal just 56 seconds after Macaulay's game-tying tally. At 18:03, Matt Summers gave the hosts a 3-1 lead and Matt Robinson dealt the Oilers what could have been a back-breaking blow by tapping a shot past Fogal with only three seconds remaining in the frame. The Thunder fired 19 shots in the first period and scored four goals in a period for the first time since December 29 against St. Charles. For the fifth straight game, the Oilers found themselves trailing after the opening 20 minutes.

Tulsa's fortunes starting turning just seconds into the second period. Macaulay snapped a shot through Brown with only 23 ticks off the clock to trim the Thunder lead to 4-2. A five-minute boarding major on Flath gave the Oilers an extended power play and it was Macaulay who cashed in on the opportunity. The Winnipeg native scooped up a loose puck between the circles and deposited the puck underneath the crossbar at 5:51 to complete his first professional hat-trick and bring the Oilers back within one goal. Tulsa outshot Wichita 16-4 in the middle frame and carried the momentum into the third period.

With Ryan Menei serving a double-minor for butt-ending at the midway point of third, Drew Fisher led a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush into the Thunder zone. The second-year pro laid a perfect pass over to Nathan Lutz who cranked a one-timer past Brown to level the game at 4-4 and give the Oilers their third unanswered goal. Both sides created quality chances over the next several minutes but it was Flath who found the range from just outside the Oilers crease. After his initial shot was stopped by Fogal, Flath's second swipe trickled through Fogal's legs to put the Thunder back on top for good. Despite a late 6-on-4 advantage, the Oilers could not get another puck past Brown.

For just the second time in 11 meetings between the Oilers and Thunder, the game was decided by a single goal. The Oilers are 6-4-1 against the Thunder this season and still need just one more victory in the series to clinch at least a share of the StoneWolf Casino Cup. With the victory, Wichita has pulled within five points of the Oilers in the CHL standings. The rivals complete their weekend series tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m. at the BOK Center.

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Central Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2014


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