Oilers turn back Mudbugs, win 3-2

TULSA, Okla. – Answering a 6-1 loss on Saturday night, the Tulsa Oilers battled back to take a 2-1 best-of-five series lead over the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs Tuesday night, posting a 3-2 win in front of 3,752 wild fans at the BOK Center. Ian Keserich was stellar between the pipes for the Oilers, stopping 44 of 46 Mudbugs shots while Evan Kotsopoulos provided the game-winning goal in the third period. Gary Steffes put Tulsa on the board first, placing a shot up high during a scramble for the puck in front of Bossier-Shreveport goalie John DeCaro 3:32 into the opening period. Less than two minutes later, Tulsa picked up its fourth five-minute major penalty in the last two games when Tyler Fleck was assessed a kneeing major and game misconduct for a hit on Bossier-Shreveport’s Shane Hart. A few minutes after being helped to the bench, Hart left the ice to seek treatment in the locker room and did not return.

Unlike game two, when the Mudbugs scored two power play goals during major penalties, Bossier-Shreveport would not score on the man-advantage. Tulsa’s penalty kill unit stepped up to the plate and successfully killed the penalty. The specialty unit for Tulsa came up big once again, holding Bossier-Shreveport scoreless when Derek Eastman was given a minor for boarding at 10:55. The Mudbugs were 0-for-5 on the power play for the night while Tulsa went 0-for-3.
Bossier-Shreveport wasted little time in the opening the second period, tying the game 1-1 on a Shawn Limpright goal just 30-seconds into the frame. Limpright moved in on net, releasing a backhanded shot that went between Keserich’s pads. The goal, Limpright’s fourth of the playoffs, was scored unassisted. Tulsa regained the lead 7:28 later on a short-handed goal by veteran center Marty Standish. With the Oilers controlling the puck in the zone, Standish redirected a shot by Eastman that found the top of the net on DeCaro’s glove side to give Tulsa a 2-1 lead. Less than two minutes later the Mudbugs knotted the score at 2-2 on Nick Layton’s first professional goal. With Keserich down after saving a Jim Jorgensen shot, Layton picked up the puck on the rebound and found the back of the net at the 9:32 mark of the period. The teams took the 2-2 score into the second intermission as Bossier-Shreveport nearly tripled Tulsa’s shots in the second period, out shooting the Oilers 23-8.A defensive battle ensued in the third period before Kotsopoulos found the back of the net at 6:13. Standish let loose a shot from in front of the net that was kicked out to the left circle by DeCaro. Kotsopoulos then made a spectacular play, releasing a shot from the front of the circle while falling backwards. The shot made it past DeCaro and into the net to give Tulsa a 3-2 lead. From there Keserich took over, turning away 10 shots in the closing minutes. The two squads will rest up and prepare for game four of the series, set for a 7:35 p.m. CST opening face-off in Tulsa.
 
One more Oilers win will clinch the series and move them into the Berry Conference Final against either the Odessa Jackalopes or the Allen Americans. A Mudbugs win would shift the series back to Bossier City for a decisive game five on Saturday. Contact the writer at john.hall@prohockeynews.com Contact the photographer at les.stockton@prohockeynews.com