CHL Tulsa Oilers

Oilers Weekly News and Notes

Published on January 21, 2013 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Tulsa Oilers News Release


Week In Review: The Oilers are coming off a three-game weekend series against the Wichita Thunder. Tulsa picked up a road win on Friday but dropped both games at home to the Thunder on Saturday and Sunday. The Oilers fell to 11-26-3 overall and remain in tenth place in the CHL standings, 13 points out of the eighth and final playoff spot.

Friday in Wichita, the Oilers earned their first comeback victory of the season. Trailing 2-1 entering the third period, Tulsa outscored the Thunder 3-0 in the final frame thanks to goals by Patrick Schafer, Drew Fisher, and an empty-net tally by Ryan Menei. The 4-2 triumph gave the Oilers back-to-back road wins for the first time since December 2011. Head Coach Bruce Ramsay recorded his 300th career win and each member of Tulsa's top line (Ben Gordon, Ryan Menei, and Michel Beausoleil) registered two points.

Back at the BOK Center on Saturday, the Oilers were denied a second-straight comeback win as the Thunder hung on for a narrow 3-2 win. Oilers winger Ryan Menei tied the game at 2-2 at the 3:32 of the third period, but Matt Summers tallied at 5:21 to put Wichita out front for good. Tulsa fired 35 shots and allowed a season-high 46 shots on net. Despite 43 saves from Shane Madolora, the Oilers came up short in their bid to win back-to-back games for the first time since November.

Sunday's rubber match was a back-and-forth battle between the long-time rivals that finished with a 5-4 Wichita win. Oilers winger Drew Fisher scored twice in the first period and notched a breakaway goal early in the second to cap off his first career hat-trick. Each team was given nine powerplay opportunities and the Thunder cashed in on three of their first four. In the second period, Wichita scored three goals in the span of just two minutes and took a 5-3 lead into the the third. Sean Erickson's powerplay blast cut the Thunder lead to 5-4 but the Oilers were unable to complete the comeback.

The Fantastic Mr. Fisher: Rookie forward Drew Fisher brought out his very best against the Thunder last weekend. On Friday night, Fisher assisted Patrick Schafer on the game-tying goal and followed up by scoring the game-winning goal on a shorthanded breakaway. The International Falls, Minnesota native, opened the scoring on Sunday when he roofed a backhand past Thunder goalie Torrie Jung. Nine minutes later, Fisher unleashed a one-timer from the bottom of the circle to tie the game at 2-2. The 25-year old created another breakaway early in the second period and slipped the puck under Jung to complete his first-career hat-trick. Fisher, who appeared in six games for the Oilers at the end of the 2011-12 season, has recorded 19 points (9 goals, 10 assists), and has played in every single game this season.

Protect The House: The Oilers five -game home losing streak is their longest since opening the 2010-11 season with five-straight losses at the BOK Center. Tulsa is 6-10 -3 at home and is the only team in the CHL with a losing record on home ice.

He Keeps On Going and Going...: By appearing in his 746th CHL game on Saturday night, Oilers captain Tyler Fleck has moved past Wichita assistant coach Jason Duda and into second place on the CHL's all-time games played list. Now in his 14th pro season, Fleck has played every single game of his career in the Central Hockey League. The veteran defenseman, who celebrated his 34th birthday on Saturday, spent nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Blazers and played half of a season for the Missouri Mavericks before landing in Tulsa in 2010. A Saskatchewan native, Fleck has made eight trips to the postseason and won a CHL championship with the Blazers in 2001.

Workhorse: Since signing with the Oilers on December 21, rookie goaltender Shane Madolora has rarely left the net. The Salinas, California native started ten cons ecutive games and has appeared in 12 of the last 13 . In six of those contests, Madolora was called upon to make 30 or more saves. Sunday against Wichita, Madolora relieved fellow rookie Dan Clarke and stopped every one of the 19 shots he faced.

Can't Slow 'Em Down: Top-line forwards Ben Gordon and Ryan Menei each rank in the top ten in the CHL in total points. Gordon, who recently transitioned from left wing to center, has recorded 14 points (4 goals, 10 assists) in his last ten games. The University of Minnesota product leads Tulsa in goals, points, powerplay goals, and shots. Menei has 9 points (4 goals, 5 assists) in his last ten games. The right-winger leads the Oilers in assists and finished the weekend series against Wichita with a +3 rating.

300 Club: Friday's win at Wichita was the 300th victory of Bruce Ramsay's coaching career. The 43-year old made his head coaching debut in 20 02 for the Winston- Salem Parrots of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and over the last decade, Ramsay has coached four teams in four different leagues. The Dryden, Ontario native has a c areer winning percentage of .552 . In three and a half seasons behind the Oilers bench, Ramsay has compiled a record of 103-107 -24.

Upcoming Games: The Oilers have a light week of work with a home game on Tuesday against the Arizona Sundogs and a Saturday trip to Missouri.

Tuesday, January 22 at 7:05 p.m. - vs. Arizona Sundogs

- Second meeting of the season, Oilers won 4-3 over Arizona on Dec. 2 at BOK Center

- Papa John's College Night (All college students get ticket and pizza coupon for $12)

Saturday, January 26 at 7:05 p.m. - at Missouri Mavericks

- Oilers 2-3-0 against Missouri this season, 1-1-0 at Independence Event Center

- Watch Party at Gusano's Chicago-Style Pizzeria at 101st & Mingo

Check out the Tulsa Oilers Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 21, 2013


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