TULSA, Okla. – A 3-1 win at Cincinnati on Saturday not only put the Tulsa Oilers (9-8-3-3) above .500 for the first time since early November, it also brought an end to a grueling 35-day, nearly 9,000-mile road trip.
As the team bus rolls back into the Sooner state early Sunday morning, the passengers onboard are surely looking forward to a few days of rest before they host their first home game in 41-days.
It has been said that such trips serve as a bonding experience for teams, and this one is no exception. The Oilers played in seven different states during the trip that saw them post a 2-2-4 record against Mountain Division foes, four overtime or shootout games, one suspended game and the hospitalization of their head coach.
The team has responded well, though, as they closed out the road swing with four wins in their last seven outings. A big reason is the play of netminder Jake Hildebrand (4-6-1-3) who has found his groove following three straight losses to open the season. Hildebrand, who has two wins in his last three games while allowing one goal in each contest, has shown considerable improvement with a GAA of 2.87 and a save percentage of .916. He posted three-straight 40-plus save outings recently, including an impressive 46-save performance in a 4-1 win at Idaho on December 1.
The trip got off to a rough start, as the squad dropped a pair of overtime games at Allen before falling 5-2 at Kansas City on November 14. Then came the event that gave quite a scare to the fans and players on the ice in Moline, Illinois on November 17 when Oilers bench boss Rob Murray collapsed behind the bench mid-way through the second period of the team’s contest with the Quad City Mallards.
Trainers and medical staff were quick to attend to Murray and he was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for dehydration and exhaustion. The game, in which Tulsa held a 2-1 lead, was suspended with no makeup date announced. Murray would be released the following day and re-joined his team in Rapid City on November 24, resulting in a 3-1 win for the Oilers. From there, Tulsa would pick up points in six of its next seven games to close out the road trip.
The Oilers will now be able to get re-acquainted with the BOK Center as they will play five of their next eight games at home. However, it will not be easy with games against each of the past two Kelly Cup Champions on the slate for this weekend. Tulsa hosts the Colorado Eagles on Friday night before returning Saturday night to take on the Allen Americans. They will then have road games at Wichita and Allen before a three game home set with the Kansas City Mavericks. They will close out the 2017 portion of the schedule on the road at Kansas City on New Year’s Eve.
As the new year begins, the Oilers will play 10 of 14 games in the month of January on home ice. In total, Tulsa has 30 of its 36 home games still remaining. That should be a big help for a team jockeying for position in a very competitive Mountain Division.
Contact the Writer: John.Hall@Prohockeynews.com
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