No Bull: Oilers whip Brahmas 5-1.

Combs and Walls score two goals; Trevor Cann nearly perfect in Oilers victory.

TULSA, OK-- The last time Trevor Cann suited up in a Tulsa Oilers uniform for a full game was back on October 19th, which was the Oilers only visit to Bossier City when the Bossier Shreveport Mudbugs handed Tulsa a 6-4 loss in the CenturyTel Center.

Since then, the 21-year old native of Oakville, Ontario has been a road warrior for the parent affiliates. When Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson went down with an injury they called on Lake Erie Monsters goalie John Grahme got the nod to head to Denver and the Monsters would call on Tulsa to send Cann back.

And there he stayed for almost a month and a half.

Tulsa fans are not used to seeing this happen as the last serious affiliation the Oilers have had occurred way back in 1984 when they were the (old) CHL affiliate of the New York Rangers. So far this season, Cann and forward Harrison Reed have both enjoyed time in the AHL so far this season.

While Cann was away the Oilers suffered through an abysmal 3-11-1 start, but have found their stride of late. So far Tulsa has put together a 4-game win streak and have won 6 of their last seven games dating back to November 23rd when they blanked the Quad City Mallards in their first ever meeting 3-0. Since then, Tulsa’s only loss came at the hands of the hottest team in the Central Hockey League on the night after Thanksgiving.

Friday night, the Oilers hosted the Texas Brahmas in the first of six meetings they will have this season, four of which will take place in the BOK Center. The Brahmas hold a 10-6-3 record going into tonight’s game, good enough for sole possession of the fourth place behind the Allen Americans with 23 points. The Brahmas are smarting from a tough 3-2 overtime loss on Tuesday night against the Laredo Bucks.

Greg Hogeboom is the points leader for Texas, the 27-year old native of Etobicoke, Ontario has 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points. Tulsa’s points leader continues to be forward Chad Costello, who as has 27 points on eleven goals and 16 assists in 22 games.

The Oilers got on the BOK big board first on Jack Combs ninth goal of the season when he converted a rebound of a Harrison Reed shot and buried it behind Brahmas goalie Kevin Beech at 12:27 of the first. It was the only goal of the first period, with Tulsa out shooting the Brahmas 11-9.

Braden Walls gave Tulsa a two goal lead at 12:50 of the second period as he shoved the puck in behind Beech, who had been caught out of position after a weird bounce off the end boards. The goal was the first of the season for Walls, who was acquired by the Oilers from Missouri prior to Tuesday night’s 4-1 victory over the Rapid City Rush.

Nearly three minutes went by in the third before Mike Beausoleil made it a 3-0 lead scoring off a rebound in front. Derek Hulak got the lone assist on the goal, continuing a streak he began 7 games ago of scoring at least a point in each of those games.

Then, at 5:49 Jack Combs stole the puck between the circles from the Brahmas Steve Later an slammed the puck home behind Kevin Beech for an unassisted goal to give the Oilers a 4-0 lead. At 13:47, Braden Walls got his second goal of the night, tapping the puck past a sprawled Beech off a face off win by Sean Erickson.

At 16:30 former Oiler Dan Riedel scored against off a neat feeder pass by Mick Lawrence, then Riedel buried it behind Trevor Cann, ruining his shutout bid. In the end, despite the lone Texas goal the Oilers saw their fifth win in a row and their 7trh win in their last eight games.

In the end the Oilers went 0-for-3 on the power play and Texas went 0-for-5. Shots were dead even at 31 a piece, with Trevor Cann stopping all but one shot for Tulsa and Kevin Beech stopping 26, The Oilers travel to the InTrust Bank Arena tomorrow night to face the Wichita Thunder, who when they last met handed the Oilers their worst defeat this season on Halloween by a score of 8-0.

Bruce Ramsay announced after the game that Trevor Cann would return to Cleveland tomorrow to rejoin the Lake Erie Monsters. The news comes in the wake of his nearly flawless game tonight. Ian Keserich, who sustained a wound on his hand on Tuesday night that required three stitches to close, is expected to get the start when the Oilers take on the Thunder on Saturday night.

The Oilers return to the BOK Center on Tuesday night to take on the Thunder again for the second of four consecutive Tuesday night games. Tickets for all Oiler games are available at the BOK Box Office, Tickets.com, Tulsa area Reasor’s stores, and by calling 1-866-7BOK-CTR (866-725-5287). More information is available by calling the Oilers
office at 918-632-PUCK (7825).