TULSA , Okla . – The month of January represented a crucial time in the Tulsa Oilers ’ season and how they emerged could very well determine whether they ultimately reach the ECHL playoffs or miss it a third straight year .

Faced with a favorable schedule that had them playing 11 of 13 games at the BOK Center between

Dec . 27 and Jan . 21 , the Oilers were hoping to take advantage and pile up the victories , sparking a move up the Mountain Division standings .

Through the first six contests , Tulsa won just once , posting a 1-3-2 mark . Following a 3-0 loss to the defending Kelly Cup champion Colorado Eagles on Jan . 7 , the Oilers

sat fifth in the Mountain Division with a 13-13-8 record through 34 games , just about the halfway point of the season . They were seven points back of the Allen Americans , who they play five more times this season , for the fourth and final playoff spot .

Tulsa ’ s heavy dose of home time followed a ridiculous stretch where they played 14 consecutive road games between Nov . 5 and Dec . 9 . The epic road trip had the potential to doom their season if they struggled , but the Oilers managed to come out of it in decent shape .

was hospitalized overnight for extreme exhaustion and dehydration , and the team went 0-4-2 in the first six . Thankfully , though , Murray recovered and perhaps energized by his return to the bench , the Oilers rebounded with some strong performances , completing the stretch with a respectable 4-5-4 record .

By the way , the game where Murray collapsed was postponed with the Oilers leading 2-1 in the second period and will be completed on Feb . 6 .

The trip did not start off well , featuring a health scare in which coach Rob Murray collapsed on the bench at Quad Cities and