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ECHL Tulsa Oilers

Game Preview: Tulsa Oilers vs Wichita Thunder - Tonight 7:05 p.m.

November 18, 2014 - ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Tulsa Oilers vs Wichita Thunder - 7:05 p.m. at BOK Center

TEAM CAPSULES

Tulsa Oilers

Overall: 5-4-1

Home: 3-2-1

Road: 2-2-0

Rank: T-2nd in Central Division

Wichita Thunder

Overall: 4-5-2

Home: 3-4-0

Road: 1-1-2

Rank: T-6th in Central Division

SEASON SERIES HISTORY

October 26 - Tulsa def. Wichita 6-5 (OT)

October 29 - Wichita def. Tulsa 2-0

November 2 - Tulsa def. Wichita 3-2 (SO)

OILERS ALL-TIME VS. THUNDER

Overall: 123-105-25

Home: 68-45-13

SETTING THE SCENE

The Oilers and Thunder face off in the fourth of 15 meetings this season. Tulsa is 2-1-0 against Wichita with both wins coming on home ice at the BOK Center. Each team has scored nine goals over the previous three contests and two of the three games have been decided beyond regulation. The Oilers earned a 6-5 overtime win on October 26 and edged the Thunder in a 3-2 shootout victory on November 2. Jon Booras leads Tulsa with 15 points (3 goals, 12 assists) while Stephen Schultz paces Wichita with 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists).

â=80- CHANGE OF COLORS

Oilers captain Nathan Lutz and veteran center Jon Booras face off against their former team tonight. Lutz, who played the 2012-13 season in Wichita, leads all Tulsa defensemen with a +4 rating while Booras, who appeared in 61 games for the Thunder last season, is leading the ECHL with 12 assists.

THUNDER SILENCER

Tulsa netminder Kevin Carr has appeared in all three games against Wichita this season. The rookie puck-stopper has allowed only three goals to the Thunder in nearly 150 minutes of action for a 1.21 goals against average and a .946 save percentage.

START QUICK

The Oilers are 4-0-0 this season when leading after the first period and boast a +4 first period goal differential (13 GF, 9 GA). Wichita has held a first intermission lead in just two of its 11 games this season and has a 0-1-1 mark in those contests.

FIRST AND WORST

With 10 goals in two games over the weekend, the Oilers maintained the highest scoring average in the ECHL. Tulsa is putting up 4.20 goals per game and holds a slight edge over second-place Fort Wayne (4.17). However, the Oilers rank last in the league in goals against per game. Through ten games, Tulsa is allowing an average of 4.30 goals per contest and is one of only three teams in the ECHL giving up over four goals per game. Opponents have scored four goals or more in seven of the Oilers' ten games this season.

TEN IN TEN

Adam Pleskach has ten goals in the first ten games of the season and is one of only two players in the ECHL (Jason Bast - Idaho) to reach double-digits in goals. Pleskach is slightly ahead of his goal scoring pace from last season when he scored ten goals in his first 11 games as an Oiler.

MELE MAGIC

Center Steve Mele played a part in each of Tulsa's four goals on Saturday and became the second Oilers player this season to record a four-point night. Late in the first period, Mele started an odd-man rush and placed a perfect pass on the tape of Charles Lachance for Tulsa's first goal of the evening. In the second period, Mele scored from the slot for his first goal of the season. The Bronx, New York native assisted on Adam Pleskach's goal at 11:45 of the third and completed his offensive outpouring at 14:28 of the final frame with his second goal of the contest. Mele, 25, ended the night with a +4 rating, tied for the highest rating of any Oiler in a single game this season.

CONSISTENT CONTRIBUTOR

Tulsa's longest point streak of the season belongs to 33-year old winger T.J. Caig who has put up points in five consecutive contests. The Kelowna, British Columbia native has posted three goals and four assists during the streak and has totaled 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) through the first ten games of the season.

Check out the Tulsa Oilers Statistics

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