RiverKings hand Oilers 7-3 loss

TULSA, Okla. – It was not the outcome that the Tulsa Oilers had hoped for Thursday night at the BOK Center. The Mississippi RiverKings spoiled Tulsa’s return to the Central Hockey League playoffs after a six year hiatus, scorching the Oilers 7-3 in front of an announced crowd of 3,011. A total of seven different RiverKings players scored goals for Mississippi as the sixth-seeded ‘Kings took a 1-0 best-of-five series lead in the Berry Conference opening round against the third-seeded Oilers. Tulsa’s three goals came by way of the power play as they converted on three of 10 advantages. On the night the two teams combined for 38 penalty minutes (Mississippi 22 minutes, Tulsa 16 minutes) in a game that did not seem to have a defined flow established. Mississippi wasted no time jumping onto the scoreboard, with R.G. Flath directing home a rebound past Tulsa’s Ian Keserich to put the RiverKings on top 1-0 just :37 into the opening frame. Tulsa looked to net the equalizer at the 1:51 mark of the first, but referee Mark-Andre Lavoie waved off an apparent goal and handed out a minor penalty for goaltender interference to Michel Beausoleil. Beausoleil later tied the score 1-1 on a power play goal at 9:41 of the first. Louis Dumont struck at the 13:35 mark to put the ’Kings back on top before Chris Richards ran the first period lead to 3-1 on a power play goal at 18:45.

Patrik Levesque increased Mississippi’s lead to 4-1 on a goal at 7:27 of the second. Dumont and former Oiler Andrew Lackner were awarded the assists. Tulsa defenseman Derek Eastman cut the lead in half on a power play goal at 18:45 of the period. Eastman took the pass from Tom Dignard and buried the puck in the net past goalie Alexander Pechurskiy from outside the right circle. What little momentum Tulsa may have gained from Eastman’s late second period goal evaporated mid-way through the third period when recently signed RiverKings defenseman Evgeni Timkin beat Keserich to score his first CHL goal at the 8:23 mark. Veterans Darrell Stoddard and Dumont assisted on the goal that extended the lead to 5-2. Timkin’s goal ignited the Mississippi offense, as the ‘Kings went on to score two more goals to ice the game. Matt Boyd’s goal at 9:54 and Brennan Sarazin’s marker at 11:39 put the game well out of reach, squelching any comeback by Tulsa. Former NHL star Bates Battaglia scored his first CHL goal at the 17:58 mark, closing out the scoring for the night. The two teams will battle again tonight, as Tulsa will again play host to the RiverKings at the BOK Center for game two. Opening face-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. Contact the writer at john.hall@prohockeynews.com