Scott Macauley (8) battles Rush’s Kale Kerbashian (22)

RAPID CITY, SD — The Tulsa Oilers concluded their season series with the Rapid City Rush over the weekend as they traveled north to the Rushmore Civic Center for a pair of games that extended and then ended a season-long win streak.

On Friday night, the Oilers nabbed an overtime win off the stick of  Dave Pszenyczny, who lifted a backhand over Rush goalie John Griggs with just 15 seconds remaining in the extra session to give Tulsa its fifth consecutive win and sixth straight road triumph.

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Sticks are raised as TJ Caig scores his second out three goals in a 7-4 Oilers win Saturday night over Wichita. Photo: Ed Bailey

TJ Caig led the way with a hat trick (three goals) and Tommy Mele, Adam Pleskach, Jon Booras and Scott Macauley added single goals to help the Tulsa Oilers top the Wichita Thunder 7-4 in the InTrust Bank Arena on Saturday night.

The win was a critical one for the Oilers, who have been a bubble team in the ECHL Central Division playoff race since the beginning of 2015. After the Thunder assumed an early 1-0 lead at 2:26 of the first period with a Justin Bernhardt power-play goal, Caig began his run toward the hat when on the power play, Jon Booras funneled a pass out of the corner to set up a one-timer for Caig who blasted the puck over the shoulder of Tim Boron to level the score at 1-1 at the 5:27 mark.

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Oilers goalie Kevin Carr was perfect in a 4-0 shutout of Brampton on Monday

BRAMPTON, ONT.— The Tulsa Oilers made their only trip north of the Canadian border on Monday and Tuesday and got the job done as they took two games from the Brampton Beast.

A 4-0 shutout of the Beast on Monday and a 6-2 victory on Tuesday elevated the boys in blue to 24-23-4 and to within a point of the third place Wichita Thunder at 52 points.

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Dave Pszenyczny argues with referee Brett Silva after his apparent goal was disallowed Saturday night.

TULSA, OK.—Most hockey fans look upon the guys wearing the back and white stripes (the referee and the linesmen) with a type of “respectful disdain”. They know the necessity of them, but when they affect the outcome of the game it’s a markedly different story.

In a near quarter-century of continuous professional hockey in Tulsa since 1992, there have been a number of referees who, due the questionable calls, are lucky to have escaped the Cox Business Center and the BOK Center with their skins. Because in one way or the other, they were responsible for the Tulsa Oilers misfortunes.

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Tommy Mele (11) battles for position in front of the Quad City net. Photo: Kevin Pyle

MOLINE, IL—The Tulsa Oilers traveled to the land of Lincoln a day after the Great Emancipator’s birthday to take on the Quad City Mallards with two clear objectives: reverse a three game slide begun last week and get back in the playoff hunt with a clear, regulation win.

The debacle of a 7-3 loss to the Missouri Mavericks Tuesday night dropped the Oilers out of the fourth and final playoff spot and to a record of 21-22-4 with 46 points.

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