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ECHL Idaho Steelheads

Oilers Down Steelheads for Christie's 492nd

December 10, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Idaho Steelheads News Release


Tulsa, OK - Ben Walker netted two goals in the second period and Kevin Carr made 24 saves as the Tulsa Oilers (9-9-2) topped the Idaho Steelheads (7-14-4), 4-2 at BOK Center in Tulsa. The win was the 492nd of Tulsa head coach Jason Christie's career, setting a new ECHL record for head coaching wins.

The two teams played scoreless hockey for the first 20 minutes, but the Oilers struck first just 33 seconds into the second frame when Aaron Harstad's drive from the left point beat Steelheads' goaltender Philippe Desrosiers. Harstad joined the Oilers from AHL Manitoba earlier in the day.

At 10:35 of the second, the Oilers extended the lead to 2-0 with Walker's deflection of a Matthieu Brisebois point shot. Exactly two and a half minutes later, it was Walker again, picking up a blocked point shot by Dennis Brown high in the Steelheads zone and carrying it to the top of the right circle before whistling a high wrist shot past Desrosiers.

Idaho hit two posts in the second period, one from Rob Linsmayer and another from Andre Morrissette, but could not score. The Steelheads trailed 3-0 after two periods and have now been outscored 29-14 in the middle frame this season.

Idaho got on the board at 4:01 of the third period when Emil Molin showed good instincts to intercept a clearing pass at the blue line, quickly moved in on Carr, and slipped a pass to the right post for Jefferson Dahl to deposit his ninth of the season. They controlled much of the third period but fell further behind when a quick transition in the neutral zone sent Tulsa rookie Dan DeSalvo ahead on a 2-on-1 rush, with DeSalvo beating Desrosiers to the blocker side to make it 4-1.

Andrew Panzarella snuck down from the right point at 18:04 of the third, finding a Cole Ully pass in the low slot and snapping it past Carr for his first career goal to make it 4-2. That's as close as the Steelheads would get.

The Steelheads and Oilers battle again Friday night, Idaho's third game in three days. Puck-drop is at 6:05pm MT at BOK Center, with the game available on 93.1FM KTIK and ECHLTV.

STEELHEADS STATS:

Goals: Dahl (9), Panzarella (1)

Philippe Desrosiers: 24 saves on 28 shots

Power Play: 0-for-3

Penalty Kill: 4-for-4

CENTURYLINK THREE STARS OF THE GAME

1. Ben Walker TUL

2. Dan DeSalvo TUL

3. Andrew Panzarella IDH

COORS LIGHT OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME

Ben Walker: Two goals, three shots, plus-2 rating.

Play of the Game:

The Steelheads trailed 2-0 midway through the second but were pushing in the Tulsa zone, hitting two posts and forcing Kevin Carr to work hard in the Oiler crease. But the Steelheads two-goal deficit became a much more imposing three-goal deficit off of a broken play, when Dennis Brown's shot was blocked high in the zone but rolled to the high slot. Ben Walker swooped into the gray area and collected the puck with room to move, carrying it to the top of the right circle and firing a laser past Desrosier for what would eventually be the game-winning goal.

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