TULSA, Okla. – The city of Dayton, Ohio is known as the home to the United States Air Force Museum, documenting the finest aviators and air campaigns this country has ever known. On Thursday night, that city’s hockey team executed on their own magnificent campaign at the BOK Center with an 8-2 pounding of the Tulsa Oilers.
Play began slowly with just a few chances created due to missed passes and sloppy play in the neutral zone. Tulsa’s best opportunity of the period fell short at the 7:09 mark when Michel Beausoleil could not lift a loose puck in front of Dayton’s sprawling goaltender, Jeff Jakaitis.
Dayton went on the power play just seconds later when Tulsa’s R.J. Linder went off for holding. Tulsa Goaltender Trevor Cann was focused as Dayton’s Matthew Larke moved in and sent a shot that Cann managed to kick out into the slot area and out of harm’s way. No one was there for Dayton to poke it in. On the play, Tulsa’s Derek Eastman was sent off for slashing leading to a two-man advantage lasting 1:11 for Dayton.
Dayton wasn’t able to convert, but the pressure seemed to be building against Tulsa at this point. Larke missed a wide open net when he dinged one off the post a minute into the power play. Tulsa killed off both penalties and then drew a penalty of their own to send the home team to the penalty kill.
Nearly 12 minutes in, Dayton drew first blood when Matt Miller slipped in a rebound caused by a nifty shot by Tim Hartung. It was Miller’s fourth of the season. The Gems had been swarming Cann and the relentless pressure finally resulted in the 1-0 lead.
Dayton increased their lead on a short-handed goal Just over five minutes later. Larke intercepted a neutral zone pass to cross the line all alone on Cann, who made the save, but could not freeze the puck letting Mike Vaskivuo come in for the rebound with an Oilers player draped all over him. Still, Vaskivuo slid the loose puck into the open net for his 23rd tally of the season.
Dayton led the game 2-0 in goals despite shots being 16 aside. Dayton’s Jeff Jakaitis was the difference in the period, stopping each shot he faced.
The Gems wasted no time getting warmed up to start the second period as Jake Pence fired a blast from the right point that was deflected off the right post by Jonathan Ornelas. Tulsa seemed to be a step or two off the pace of play. Dayton continued the pressure.
A little over five minutes into the frame, Dayton winger Damian Surma broke down the left side on an odd-man rush after intercepting a pass at the blue line. Surma sent a pass to his right where Matt Miller made no mistake in putting the puck high over the glove hand of Cann for a 3-0 lead. It was Miller’s second of the game.
Two and a half minutes later, Ornelas got his 17th of the season when he snuck in a rebound off a drive from Mike Vaskivuo to make it 4-0.
Before it got too out of hand, Tulsa finally scored when Marty Standish accepted a long, crisp forward pass at the Dayton blue line and unloaded a shot that Jakaitis saved, but couldn’t control the rebound. Braden Walls swatted at the puck until it finally slid under the legs of the Gems net minder, lighting the Tulsa side of the scoreboard to make it 4-1.
In what was becoming a regular occurrence throughout the game, Dayton’s Brandon Naurato led a two-on-one rush down the left side and sent a pass to his right where Nick Canzanello sent the puck over the blocker of Cann to increase the Gems lead to 5-1. It was Canzanello’s fifth of the season.
The Gems weren’t satisfied though, and when referee Steve Cruickshank missed calling a trip in the neutral zone on one of the Oilers, Naurato made sure he voiced his displeasure, earning an unsportsmanlike penalty at the 18:41 mark. Upon seeing he was being called for the minor penalty, Naurato uttered a few magic words and earned an additional ten-minute detention.
Dayton was in control with the 5-1 lead thanks to great goal tending by Jakaitis. Tulsa led in shots 34-33 but still struggled to solve the magnificent team play of the Gems.
The Oilers started the final period with a change in goal with Ian Keserich cleaning the crease for the home team. It wasn’t so much an indictment on Cann’s play in the first forty minutes, but in fairness, he wasn’t as sharp as he should have been. Unfortunately, neither was Keserich when 6:31 into final period, he misplayed a puck behind the net. Damian Surma handled it and hooked it in from behind the goal for a 6-1 Dayton lead. It was Surma’s third of the season.
At 8:29, Canzanello was sent off for tripping and it didn’t take long for Tulsa to net one on the power play. At 9:08, Marty Standish’s shot was blocked in front and the puck deflected to Braden Walls who one-timed it past Jakaitis to make it 6-2.
Any sort of satisfaction the Oilers might have achieved didn’t last long when at 12:06, Dayton’s Brett Lutes was in front when a Chris Lipsett shot trickled off the end boards and right to him. It was 7-2 in an instant as Lutes netted his 15th of the season. Just over four minutes later, Mike Vaskivuo sent a wrist shot along the ice right under Keserich’s goal stick and between the wickets to seal the final score at 8-2.
With the win, Dayton continues their climb in the standings, improving to 26-24-4 for 56 points and 8th place in a very tight Turner Conference while Tulsa fell to 30-23-2 for 62 points and remains in third place in the Berry Conference.
Contact the writer at dennis.morrell@prohockeynews.com
Photos courtesy of Lan Le
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