Game Day Storylines- at Tulsa
January 21, 2017 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release
Steel Reel
The ECHL All-Star Break has come to an end, and the Steelheads' season resumes with a challenging five-game road trip that begins Saturday night in Tulsa against the Oilers. The two-game series at BOK Center this week will be the only meeting between the teams this season, after Idaho went 3-2-0 last season against the Oilers. The Steelheads have recorded points in eight of their past nine games (6-1-2), while the Oilers enter the weekend having gone 5-4-1 over their previous ten contests.
The Steelheads earned a point in their final game before the break, a 5-4 shootout loss to the Utah Grizzlies last Monday at Maverik Center. The Steelheads had a 4-1 lead in the second period, but the Grizzlies chipped away and tied the game on a Brad Navin goal with 3:16 remaining. Cam Reid scored the only goal of the shootout, only the second defeat for Idaho in seven shootouts this season. The Steelheads got scoring from Joe Basaraba, Travis Walsh, Anthony Luciani, and Rob Linsmayer, while Philippe Desrosiers made 23 saves.
Trying for Ten...
Anthony Luciani will look to push his points streak to ten games on Saturday night, which would tie Jefferson Dahl for the longest points streak by a Steelhead this season. Luciani notched a goal and an assist on Monday in Utah, giving him six goals and 12 points during his current nine-game run. Luciani has also scored goals in three straight games and in six of his last seven. With a point on Saturday night, Luciani would tie the longest points streak of his ECHL career.
Komming Back...
Branden Komm is back with the Steelheads, returning from AHL Bakersfield on Friday. Komm is 5-1-1 for Idaho in his last seven starts, and has earned the Steelheads at least a point in four straight appearances. Komm earned his first shutout as a Steelhead in his last road start on December 30th in Rapid City, a 3-0 win over the Rush. Philippe Desrosiers has started each of the last four games between the pipes for Idaho.
Boss is Firing...
Joe Basaraba is in the midst of his hottest goal-scoring stretch of the season with seven goals in his last ten games, also finding the net in five of Idaho's last seven contests. Thanks to his recent scoring spark, Basaraba has 12 goals and 29 points in 39 games this season, already matching his 12 goals in 47 games last year and just shy of his 32 points.
Boom or Bust...
The Oilers special teams units have struggled somewhat this season, their power play ranked 26th and their penalty kill ranked 22nd out of 27 teams, but they certainly have been unpredictable. The Oilers have given up eight short-handed goals this season, tied for the second most in the ECHL, but they have also scored seven of their own to rank tied for fifth in the ECHL. Idaho is 3-for18 in the month of January with the man-advantage, still ranked second in the ECHL behind Toledo.
About the Oilers...
The Tulsa Oilers shot out of the starting gates of the ECHL season, going 11-3-0 in their first 14 games. Since November 16th, the Oilers have leveled off somewhat with a .483 winning percentage in their last 29 games. Still they rank second in the Central Division, and are led by Head Coach Jason Christie, who is the ECHL's all-time winningest head coach with 543 regular season victories. Phil Brewer leads the Oilers with 28 points and has points in three straight games heading into Saturday night. Emerson Clark has four goals and eight points in his last six games, and he also ranks second in the ECHL in penalty minutes with 146. The Oilers will be without goaltender Jamie Phillips, recalled to AHL Manitoba, who leads ECHL goaltenders in appearances and is tied for the lead with 19 wins. Tulsa has also been hurt by the absence of Adam Pleskach, on injured reserve since December 1st. The Oilers are a winning team at BOK Center and have taken points in their last four games on home ice (3-0-1).
Idaho Leaders Oilers Leaders
Goals: Luciani (16) Goals: Clark (14)
Assists: Dahl (26) Assists: Brewer (18)
Points: Dahl/Luciani (37) Points: Brewer (28)
Plus/Minus: Bell (+12) Plus/Minus: Pleskach (+16)
Power Play Goals: Merchant (7) Power Play Goals: Four tied (2)
Goals-Against Average: Komm (2.59) Goals-Against Average: Asmundson (2.62)
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