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ECHL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Roll Past Americans for Decisive 5-1 Win in Game 3

April 17, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


TULSA, OK - Only 48 hours removed from one of the most disappointing losses in recent history, the Tulsa Oilers bounced back in a big way on Friday night with a 5-1 victory over the Allen Americans at the BOK Center. Tulsa cut Allen's series lead to 2-1 with Game 4 slated for Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. The Oilers scored five times on just 23 shots and were bolstered by a 28 save-performance from rookie goaltender, Kevin Carr.

The Oilers were at their best in the first periods of the first pair of games in Allen, and the trend continued on Wednesday as the home team struck the first blow. At 5:50 of the opening frame, Jon Booras received a cross-ice pass from Tommy Mele and slid the puck through the legs of Allen goalie Riley Gill. Booras, the only Oiler with points in all three games of the series, potted his second goal of the postseason and gave his squad a 1-0 lead. Through the first three games of the series, the Oilers outscored the Americans 5-1 in the first period.

Outscored 6-2 in the second periods of Game 1 and Game 2, the Oilers flipped the script and found a way to extend their lead in the middle frame on Friday. Tulsa rookie Stephen Perfetto recorded his first professional goal at 2:54 of the second after charging toward the Allen net and slipping the puck under Gill for a 2-0 advantage. A 4-on-3 power play led to the Oilers' third strike of the evening. After a near turnover near the top of the Allen zone, the puck bounced back to Booras to create a 3-on-0 rush for the Oilers. Booras dished to Drew Fisher who fired a cross-crease pass to Adam Pleskach and with Gill committed to his left, Pleskach chipped the puck into an open net for a three-goal cushion. Pleskach, the Oilers' leading goal scorer of the regular season, notched his first goal of the playoffs. The Americans answered quickly in the form of a close-range snap shot by Gary Steffes at 6:52 that would end up being the blemish on Carr's night. Tulsa's three-goal lead was restored at 8:32 by Sean Erickson on a shorthanded slap shot. Erickson intercepted a pass in his own zone and coasted into the Allen third before dialing up a heavy blast that beat Gill and chased the starting goalie from the Allen net. In 28 minutes of action, Gill surrendered four goals on 17 shots.

Determined not to allow another third period Americans' comeback, the Oilers buckled down in the final stanza and allowed only five shots on net in the closing 20 minutes. At the 5:58 mark, Mele swiped a puck at the Allen blue line and finished off a breakaway by moving around Joel Rumpel with a gorgeous backhand-to-forehand deke. Mele's first goal of the series put the finishing touches on the triumph and gave Tulsa its largest margin of victory in a playoff game since a 7-3 win over the Colorado Eagles on April 1, 2005.

Mele led all skaters with a +3 rating and eight Oilers registered at least a point in a game that was played with a combative tone by both sides. The teams combined for 23 infractions and a total of 54 penalty minutes. Tulsa went 1-for-7 on the power play and has scored a power play goal in every game of the series. Americans' winger Chad Costello, the ECHL's leading scorer in the regular season, was held without a point and Spencer Asuchak, who entered the game as the league leader with six playoff points, was also held off the board and finished with a -4 rating.

The Oilers ended a six-game losing streak to the Americans (regular season and playoffs combined) despite firing just 10 shots on goal over the final 40 minutes.

The Oilers will try to duplicate their effort on Saturday night at 7:35 p.m. and look to even the series at two games apiece.

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