ALLEN, Texas – All good things must come to an end and the Tulsa Oilers’ recent run of success came to a screeching halt in Allen, Texas on Sunday evening. Tulsa’s six-game win streak was unceremoniously snapped in an 8-2 setback to the Allen Americans in front of 3,884 at the Allen Event Center. Eight goals is the highest offensive output of any Oilers’ opponent this season and the six-goal margin was Tulsa’s most lopsided defeat of the year. The Oilers allowed more goals through the first two periods on Sunday (six) than throughout their entire six-game win streak (five).Gary Steffes, the ECHL’s leading goal-scorer, found the net for the 43rd time this season at the 4:02 mark of the first period to provide the Americans with a 1-0 lead. Steffes, a former Oilers’ forward, scooped up a loose puck with his back to the net and fired a turn-around snap shot over the glove side shoulder of Tulsa goalie Kevin Carr. Three and a half minutes later, Allen forward Patrik Valcak executed a nifty passing play in front of the Oilers’ net that ended with a tap-in tally for defenseman Steven Tarasuk. The second goal of the season for Tarasuk pushed the Allen lead to 2-0 and marked the first time in the last seven games that an opponent was able to score more than a single goal against the Oilers. After Garrett Clarke elbowed T.J. Caig to give Tulsa its first power play of the contest, Caig exacted his revenge by dialing up a heavy slap shot that sailed past Riley Gill at 15:22. Despite being outshot 10-5 in the first 20 minutes, the Oilers trailed by just a single goal heading into the intermission.
Less than two minutes into the second frame, Steffes connected for his second goal of the contest by shaking off a hit from Kyle Bochek and lifting the puck over the glove of Carr for a 3-1 Allen lead. Tulsa’s answer came quickly at 3:28 as Jon Booras threaded a stretch pass to Caig to create a breakaway for the 34-year old winger. Caig rifled a shot under the glove of Gill for his second strike of the night to pull the visitors back within a single goal. The Oilers would come no closer as the Americans seized the offensive momentum with three unanswered goals to end the period. Kyle Follmer tucked a backhand through the legs of Carr at 10:36 and defenseman Kevin Young banked a shot off the back of Carr at 12:46 to give Allen a 5-2 edge. Spencer Asuchak effectively put the game out of reach at 16:25 with a wrist shot from the high slot for his eighth goal of the season. At the end of the second stanza, the Americans had six goals on 18 shots and a four-goal lead.
Just 61 seconds in the third period, Chad Costello hammered a power play slap shot through Carr for this third point of the night to give the Americans a 7-2 lead. Costello, the ECHL’s leader in assists and points, ended the night with a goal, two assists, and a +5 rating. Tyler Ludwig’s blast from the blue line at 12:16 of the third capped off the scoring for the Americans. Allen tasted victory at home for the first time since January 29 and locked up the Central Division title along with home ice advantage through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Oilers, who failed to gain ground on second-place Rapid City, outshot the Americans 30-27 and scored on the power play for the fourth consecutive contest. Tulsa dropped to 5-8-1 against Allen with three games remaining in the season series. The two sides will meet againon Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. at the BOK Center.
With Tulsa Oilers team release
Contact the photographer: Kimberly.Sauer@prohockeynews.com
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