The Oilers couldn’t hold off the Rush, falling in overtime by a score of 3-4 to the Rapid City Rush on Friday.
The game was more than halfway over when Gage Torrel kicked off the scoring, tallying his second goal in as many nights 11:03 into second period. The goal was the lone goal of the period, and was assisted by Giovanni Fiore and Peter Quenneville.
Danny Moynihan knotted things up 3:29 into the final period, sneaking the puck past Ivan Prosvetov on the short side with an odd-angle shot. Robby Jackson gave the Oilers their first lead of the game, popping in a back-door rebound a little more than three minutes later. Jared Thomas extended the Tulsa lead to 3-1 on a power play at the 11:08 mark, blasting a slap shot from the circle shot 18 inches off the ice and into the back of the net. Quenneville answered quickly, slashing the deficit to one when he crashed the net, steering Trey Phillip’s feed from the wall and past Evan Fitzpatrick. Keeghan Howdeshell spoiled the Oilers’ lead with a an extra-man, last-minute goal, sliding the puck into the net off a net-mouth scramble, knotting the game at 3-3 with 46 seconds left.
Tulsa had a couple of early chances in the extra period, but eventually fell when Quenneville sprung Tyler Coulter on a breakaway that ended with a backhand tuck past a sprawling Fitzpatrick.
The Oilers will play Rapid City one more time this week, squaring off against the Rush at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center tomorrow. The Oilers will face rival Wichita the following Wednesday before hosting Allen on Nov. 30.
