SPORTS BUZZ
SPORTS BUZZ
Aided by affiliation with NHL ’ s Blues , Oilers off to strong start
By John Tranchina
Dec . 27-Dec . 30 Tulsa Oilers vs . Kansas City Mavericks BOK Center Tulsa , OK 918-632-7825 or www . tulsaoilers . com
Dec . 28-Dec . 30 Tulsa Shoot-Out Expo Square Tulsa , OK 918-838-3777 or www . tulsashootout . com
TULSA , Okla . – About a month into the 2017-18 season , and so far it looks like the Tulsa Oilers ’ fourth season in the ECHL , and 66 th overall , is off to a strong start .
Following a 4-3 overtime loss to the rival Allen Americans on Nov . 12 , Tulsa sat fourth in the Mountain Division with a solid 5-3-4 record . After starting out 1-3-1 , the Oilers earned points in seven consecutive games , winning four times .
Thanks to first-year head coach and Director of Hockey Operations Rob Murray and the affiliation agreement he set up with the NHL ’ s St . Louis Blues , there has been a lot of optimism surround the team this year .
The connection with the Blues has already paid off handsomely , as the four players that the Oilers have received from the NHL club have been some of their top contributors so far .
Forward Connor Bleackley , 21 , leads Tulsa with eight goals and 12 points , while Russian defenseman Dmitrii Sergeev , also 21 , tops the Oilers with eight assists and is third with nine points .
Defenseman Tommy Vanelli , 22 , who was the Blues ’ secondround draft pick ( 47 th overall ) in 2013 , has chipped in with three goals and seven points , while 24-year-old forward Justin
i i i
Selman , with one goal and three points , has also been solid .
One of the biggest stars of the year so far , though , has been rookie goaltender Devin Williams , who usurped the crease from original starter Jake Hildebrand and has yet to lose in regulation with a 4-0-2 record in seven appearances . He ranked fourth in the entire ECHL with a . 934 save percentage , was eighth with a 2.31 goals-against average , and was named the league ’ s Goaltender of the Month for October .
The OT loss in Allen was the second game of a ridiculous stretch in which the Oilers play 14 straight games on the road . They won ’ t be back at the BOK Center until Dec . 15 , when they face Colorado .
Tickets to these exciting games are affordable and available now at tulsaoilers . com .
Dec . 28-Dec . 31 Tulsa Holiday Winter Circuit Expo Square Tulsa , OK 405-743-0869 or www . tulsaholidaycircuit . com or holidaycir @ aol . com
December 28 OU Sooners vs . Texas Longhorns Lloyd Noble Center Norman , OK 405-325-8200 or www . soonersports . com
December 29 Civic Center Music Hall Presents : The Legend of Zelda-Symphony of the Goddesses Civic Center Music Hall OKC , OK 405-297-2264 or www . okcciviccenter . com
December 29 OKC Thunder vs . Milwaukee Bucks Chesapeake Energy Arena OKC , OK 405-208-4800 or www . okcthunder . com
December 29 Rodney Carrington Grand Casino Shawnee , OK 405-964-7263 or www . grandresortok . com
December 29 OSU Cowboys vs . West Virginia Mountaineers Gallagher-Iba Arena Stillwater , OK 705-744-5745 or www . okstate . com
December 30 Chad Prather BOK Center Tulsa , OK 918-894-4200 or www . bokcentertulsa . com
December 31 Olive Drop Price Tower Arts Center Bartlesville , OK 918-336-4949 or www . pricetower . org
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