With one month remaining in the 2010-11 campaign for the Tulsa Oilers hockey club, the playoffs are looming large on the horizon.
And for the first time in 6 seasons, the playoffs aren’t out of reach.
It has given the Tulsa pro hockey fans a sense of cautious optimism. As of right now, the Oilers magic number to clinch a spot in the Ray Miron President Cup playoffs is now five. Any combination of Tulsa wins and Laredo losses adding up to five will assure the Oilers of their first playoff appearance since 2005. At one point this season Bruce Ramsay’s young squad was wallowed in last place with a 3-14, 6 point record and now they sit at 29-22-2 with 60 points.
Wins 28 and 29 came this past weekend over the Mississippi Riverkings. On Friday night the Oilers Jack Combs returned to the squad after a 3-game stint in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves and scored two goals, and Michel Beausoleil put in a pair of his own. Marty Standish aand former Riverking Anthony Battaglia added goals of their own.
With that goal Marty Standish now has 203 goals and 296 assists in his CHL career, giving him 499 points, one shy of 500. Friday’s contest ended with the Oilers on top 6-5, but it was a three goal unanswered burst from Standish, Battaglia and Beausoleil in the third period that put Tulsa over the top and gave them the regulation win
Saturday’s game in DeSoto was a much tighter affair. The Riverkings and Oilers traded goals through three periods, with Jack Combs and John Mori scoring the goals for Tulsa while Matt Summers and Chris Richards tied the game for Mississippi.. Michel Beausoleil ended the game with a little over 2 minutes elapsed in the extra period to give the Oilers a 3-2 overtime win.
The Oilers have a very busy week ahead of them this week. For the first time since New Year’s weekend, the Tulsa Oilers will have a four game week. The Oilers host the Rapid City Rush on Tuesday and will entertain the Dayton Gems on Thursday in the first ever meeting between the two teams. The Oilers will then hit the road for two games at Odessa on Friday and Saturday.
All four games this week begin at 7:05 p.m. and can be accessed via the internet at www.tulsaoilers.com and CHL TV with Oilers broadcaster Steve McCall.
Bobo wins player of the week.
Michel Beausoleil was named the CHL player of the week for the period ending February 27, 2011.
Beausoleil was a key component in his team’s 2-0 week beating Mississippi both times. The Montreal native scored three goals with one assist in the two contests for the Oilers registering the overtime game winner in Saturday’s 3-2 win and scoring twice (including the game-winning goal) in Friday’s 6-5 victory.
It’s the second time an Oilers player has won the Oakley Player of the week, with Jack Combs taking the honors for the week ending January 17th.
Tickets for all Oilers games are available at the BOK Box Office, Tickets.com, Tulsa area Reasor’s stores, and by calling 1-866-7BOK-CTR (866-725-5287). More information is available by calling the Oilers office at 918-632-PUCK (7825).