TULSA, OK – Matt Lane scored 1:55 into overtime and Tulsa claimed a 3-2 win over Wichita on Friday night at the BOK Center.
Trailing by a goal heading into the third, the Thunder scored twice in a two-minute span to take their first lead of the night. Garrett Schmitz and Dean Stewart provided the offense and Evan Weninger was outstanding despite the loss, stopping 46 shots.
Brent Gates scored a pair to pace the Oilers offense. His first came at 19:41 of the second period. Justin Taylor found him in the blue paint and he tipped the pass into a wide-open net to make it 1-0.
Schmitz scored his second of the season at 3:29 of the third. He sent a backhand pass across the slot that missed everyone and bounced off the right dasher. Jacob Graves picked up the puck and fed him a pass in the slot and Schmitz buried a redirect past Roman Durny.
At 5:28, Stewart recorded his first of the year to give the Thunder their first lead. Coming in off the rush, the Thunder went tick-tack-toe as Patrik Parkkonen fed it to John Albert and he one-touched it back across the goal-mouth to Stewart.
Gates tied the game at 15:13 as he skated in from the neutral zone and beat Weninger for his second of the contest. The game remained tied and overtime was needed.
Lane scored at 1:55 of overtime as he raced to a loose puck in the neutral zone, beat a Thunder defender down the ice, shot it past Weninger as he was falling down near the crease and the puck crossed the line before he crashed into him.
Both games between the Thunder and the Oilers have ended past 60 minutes. Stewart recorded his first goal as a pro. Anthony Beauregard added an assist to push his point-streak to nine games.
The Thunder remain on the road Saturday night in Tulsa to face the Oilers at 7:05 p.m. Wichita returns home this Sunday, February 21st, to host Kansas City at 4:05 p.m.
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