Oilers beat Steelheads 4-2 as Christie breaks ECHL coaching wins record

TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa Oilers Head Coach Jason Christie etched his name in the ECHL record books, following his team’s 4-2 victory over the visiting Idaho Steelheads in front of 3,621 fans at the BOK Center on Thursday night.

The win, Tulsa’s ninth of the season, was career win number 492 for Christie, making him the all-time winningest coach in league history. He moves past 2012 ECHL Hall of Fame inductee John Marks who previously held the record with 491 wins.

Jason Christie

Christie is in his 13th season as a head coach in the ECHL and his first in Tulsa. He previously coached in Peoria (2000-01 through 2004-05), Utah (2005-06 through 2007-08) and Ontario (2011-12 through 2014-15). With an overall ECHL record of 492-291-100, Christie ranks third in league history with 883 games coached. Christie’s teams have won at least 40 games eight times, and he has led his teams to the Kelly Cup Playoffs 10 times.

The two sides battled through a scoreless first period as they sized each other up in their first ever head-to-head meeting, with Idaho holding a 7-5 lead in shots.

Newcomer Aaron Harstad, on assignment from Manitoba, broke the tie 33-seconds into the middle frame on a shot from the left point that beat Idaho netminder Philippe Desrosiers on the glove side. Phil Brewer picked up an assist on Harstad’s goal.

Fellow Manitoba assignee Ben Walker took over 10-minutes later, adding two goals in a two and a half minute span. Walker made the Tulsa lead 2-0 at 10:35 of the second; deflecting in a Mathieu Brisebois shot from the left point, with Brady Ramsay picking up the secondary assist. Walker struck again at 13:05, walking the puck in above the right circle and firing a shot high, above Desrosiers’ blocker to give Tulsa a three goal lead.

Jefferson Dahl broke up Tulsa goaltender Kevin Carr’s shutout attempt 4:01 into the final period, tapping home a cross-crease feed from Emil Molin down low.

The Oilers answered back late in the period when rookie Dan DeSalvo netted his fourth goal of the season. Streaking down the right side, DeSalvo snapped a shot from the top of the right circle that beat Desrosiers above his right shoulder to make the score 4-1 at the 17:38 mark of the third. Emerson Clark and Nathan Lutz assisted on DeSalvo’s goal.

Andrew Panzarella closed out the scoring less than a minute later with his first goal of the season. With traffic to the right of Carr, Panzarella took a centering feed from Cole Ully while charging through the slot and lifted the puck over Carr’s left shoulder to make it 4-2.

The two teams meet again Friday night at the BOK Center as Christie and the Oilers look to climb above .500 for the first time this season. Tulsa, winners of two straight, is 5-4-1-1 in the last ten games, while Idaho is 2-7-1-0 in its last 10 and is riding a three game losing streak. Face-off is set for 7:05pm CST.

Contact the writer: john.hall@prohockeynews.com

Contact the photographer: les.stockton@prohockeynews.com