Stephen Perfetto, scoring his second goal of the postseason, capped off a late Oilers comeback and sent the home crowd into a frenzy at 8:54 of the overtime period. On a two-on-one break, Perfetto took a pass from Alex Dostie and bounced a shot off of Mavericks goalie Mason McDonald, before collecting the rebound and tapping the puck into the net for the series-tying win. Alex Kromm grabbed the secondary assist on the score.
Tulsa’s Alex Dostie watches Stephen Perfetto’s OT game-winning goal cross the goal line behind Kansas City goalie Mason McDonald on Sunday afternoon at the BOK Center / Photo by Les Stockton (PHN)
Kansas City held a 2-0 lead entering the second intermission, despite being outshot by Tulsa 28-22 through the first two periods.
Corey Durocher, assisted by Cliff Watson and Jared VanWormer, netted the opening goal of the game at 8:06 of the first period. After an Oilers turnover in their defensive zone, Watson sailed a shot on net that was deflected by Durocher and went between the legs of Tulsa goalie Devin Williams to make it 1-0.
The score would remain the same for nearly 25-minutes, before former Oiler Joey Sides doubled the Mavericks’ lead on assists from Greg Betzold and C.J. Eick at 13:03 of the second. In the middle of a rush in front of Williams, Sides grabbed a rebound and sent it home from the slot to put Kansas City up 2-0.
As the time continued to tick off of the clock, Tulsa responded accordingly, and finally solved Kansas City goaltender Mason McDonald on a goal by ECHL regular season goal leader Adam Pleskach at 6:49 of the third.
Pleskach moved in from behind the net, and managed to tuck the puck into the net off of a rebound to make it 2-1. Jared Thomas and Mike McKee were credited with the helpers on the score.
The Oilers then tied the game just over five minutes later on Thomas’s first goal of the playoffs. With the Tulsa offense working to keep the puck alive inside the Kansas City zone, Steven Kaunisto centered a perfect pass to Thomas, who blasted home the one-timer from the right circle to make it 2-2. Pleskach picked up the secondary assist on the play.
The two squads would play another 16-minutes, deep into the extra frame, before Perfetto brought the game to a close.
The Tulsa Oilers celebrate Stephen Perfetto’s OT game-winning goal on Sunday afternoon at the BOK Center. Tulsa beat the Kansas City Mavericks to tie their best-of-seven ECHL Mountain Division Semi Final series at 1-1 / Photo by Les Stockton (PHN)
Oilers Head Coach Rob Murray praised the effort of his team following the win.
“Quite honestly I think we played a much better game today,” he said. “Even being down 2-0, I didn’t feel like we were getting outplayed, we just hadn’t scored.”
Murray was quick to credit McDonald, who held the Oilers scoreless for 46-minutes and stopped 42-of-45 shots in the loss.
“McDonald was a heck of a goaltender, he made some really great saves that you don’t see at this level on a nightly basis, he played a really good game, said Murray.
“In a roundabout way, by the end of it, I think we were wearing them down. It showed in the third and then in overtime where we eventually managed the puck well and had multiple opportunities,” he said.
The series, now tied 1-1, shifts to Independence, Missouri for game three on Wednesday night, and Murray is confident in his team’s abilities on the road.
“It’s a tough place to play (Silverstein Eye Centers Arena), but we’re a good road team. It’s not going to phase us that we have to go play on the road for three (games),” he said.
Murray also said that the Oilers lineup will be bolstered by the addition of St. Louis Blues prospect Tanner Kaspick, who was assigned to Tulsa today by the AHL San Antonio Rampage.
Game three is scheduled for 7:05pm on Wednesday, with game four and game five at 7:05pm on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively.
Contact the Writer: John.Hall@prohockeynews.com
Contact the Photographer: Les.Stockton@prohockeynews.com
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