Mudbugs grease the Oilers 3-2.
TULSA, OK—It has been like a baseball schedule with the Oilers playing the Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs lately. The two clubs faced each other only once in the four months prior to this series and of course, the Tulsa team has been held winless. Bossier has defeated the Oilers 12 times since March 2008, including last night’s 4-3 OT loss, and with the playoff picture growing complicated with every game they play; winning now has become a priority for Tulsa as the season enters the home stretch.
This afternoon’s game concludes the season series between the Oilers and Mudbugs, and with Missouri winning last night in overtime over Wichita and Mississippi defeating Allen the Oilers one point from the overtime loss became very important indeed. The difference in last night’s game was Tulsa’s ability to stay in the faces of the Mudbugs players as opposed to laying back and not challenging them in the physical game. To muddy the playoff picture further, the Missouri team is also in action this afternoon, taking on Texas on the road in North Richland Hills.
Notable in last night’s game was the excellent starting effort by Oilers goalie Marco Emond, who in his first start as an Oiler since 2005-06 had him face32 shots in which he stopped 28. The goaltending for Bossier continues to be superb with both Ken Carroll and John DeCaro enjoying win streaks. It was also interesting that both the Oilers and the Mudbugs are doing well in the special teams category, both teams taking a shorthanded goal last night and both teams have scored two power play goals in four games. It’s been a long ride for both teams and with high hopes The Oilers hoped to avoid being swept by the perennial playoff contenders from northwest Louisiana.
Bossier would open the scoring in the first period with Simon Mangos finding the back of the net behind Marco Emond , scoring on the power play at 4:29 with goalie Ken Carroll assisting. With the Oilers working the puck in the zone on a delayed penalty against Bossier Oilers captain Tyler Butler sent a bullet toward the net that was deflected in by Luke Stauffacher at 5:42 of the first period to ties the game. The period would end tied 1-1.
Tulsa would take the lead for the first time in three games at 3:47 of the second when Troy Riddle intercepted a pass in the neutral zone and raced in shorthanded on Ken Carroll and slipped past him unassisted. Later, Simon Mangos of Bossier would tie the game at 2 on a blast from close range at 5:40 on the power play. The period would nend with the score tied again and as it happened neither had scored an even strength goal through two periods.
The Mudbugs would take the lead on the afternoons first even strength goal at 6:07 of the 3rd period when Tyrel Lucas slipped a wrist shot past Marco Emond with David Rutherford and Jim Jorgenson assisting to make the score 3-2. In the end, that is what it took for the Mudbugs to win the game as the horn sounded after a valiant effort from the Oilers to try and tie it in the dying minutes of the game. The Oilers finish the season series with Bossier losing every game they’ve played against them, and the Mudbugs extend their win streak to 13 over the Oilers since March 2008.
The Oilers return to the amazing BOK Center for the 3rd game of the final home stand of the season to face the Mississippi Riverkings at 7:05 this Wednesday night, then they are back on Friday night to face the Rapid City Rush on Friday night. Saturday night marks the final home game of the season facing the Missouri Mavericks. Tickets for all of the Oilers remaining games van br purchased at tulsaoilers.co, the BOK Center box office and all Reasors grocery store. Game broadcasts and Bruce Ramsay’s “Hockey Happy Hour” can be heard at edgetulsa.com hosted by Steve McCall.
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Photos by: Kevin Pyle
SHOTS ON GOAL
Bossier-Shreveport 24
Tulsa 37
POWERPLAYS
Bossier-Shreveport 2 for 5 : Tulsa 0 for 4
SCORING SUMMARY
Period 1
Bossier-Shreveport - Simon Mangos (powerplay) (Ken Carroll) 4:29
Tulsa - Luke Stauffacher (extra attacker) (Tyler Butler, Dan Riedel) 5:42
Period 2
Tulsa - Troy Riddle (shorthanded) (unassisted) 3:47
Bossier-Shreveport - Simon Mangos (powerplay) (David Pszenyczny, Travis Clayton) 5:40
Period 3
Bossier-Shreveport - Tyrel Lucas (David Rutherford, Jim Jorgensen) 6:07
PENALTIES
Period 1
Tulsa - Jeff Gumaer - (Tripping), 2 min, 2:32
Tulsa - Thomas Harrison - (Cross Checking), 2 min, 12:07
Period 2
Tulsa - Aaron Davis - (Hooking), 2 min, 0:23
Tulsa - Travis Banga - (Board Checking), 2 min, 3:40
Bossier-Shreveport - Jim Jorgensen - (Holding), 2 min, 7:12
Bossier-Shreveport - Joe Ori - (Tripping), 2 min, 13:40
Bossier-Shreveport - Travis Clayton - (Tripping), 2 min, 13:48
Tulsa - Troy Riddle - (High Sticking), 2 min, 16:42
Period 3
Bossier-Shreveport - Jeff Kyrzakos - (Tripping), 2 min, 13:04
OTHER FACTS
GAME LENGTH: 2:26
ATTENDANCE: 5,052
REFEREE: Dan Dreger
LINES 1: Jordan Crowell
LINES 2: John Grandt
1ST STAR: Mangos, Simon (BOS)
2ND STAR: Carroll, Ken (BOS)
3RD STAR: Riddle, Troy (TUL)