PREVIEW: IDAHO STEELHEADS (0-1-1) @ TULSA OILERS (1-0-0)

SUNDAY, OCT. 14, 2018 | 3:05 | BOK CENTER | TULSA, OKRADIO: 1350AM KTIK "THE TICKET" | VIDEO: ECHL TV

Tonight’s Game: The Steelheads finish their three-game opening road trip against the Tulsa Oilers at BOK Center in Oklahoma.

Head-To-Head: The Steelheads ended their four-game win streak against the Oilers with last night’s loss but still have nine games remaining in the season series. The Steelheads have lost just four times in 14 apperances against the Oilers since the start of the franchise series in 2014-15 and carry a 5-2-0 record dating back to the 2017-18 season.

Last Night: The Steelheads scored late but fell 2-1 to the Oilers on Saturday night at BOK Center. Oilers forward Adam Pleksach (9:20 1st) opened the scoring from outside the left circle to take a 1-0 lead followed by a tally by Oilers forward Jared Thomas (17:26 1st) on a one-time shot from the slot, doubling the lead at 2-0. Steelheads forward Brad McClure (SH, 18:58 3rd) brought the road side within one, 2-1, on a takeaway in the final minutes, however the Steelheads couldn’t force overtime in the loss. Oilers netminder Devin Williams stopped 32 of 33 shots in the win, while Steelheads goaltender Ryan Faragher saved 23 of 25 shots in the loss.

Coming Close: In back-to-back games to start the season, the Steelheads have played in one-goal games but came up on the wrong end of both decisions. Last year, the Steelheads played in 31 games which they were separated by just one goal, earning a 16-7-5-3 record in that specific scenario while sitting in the top-10 in wins during one-goal games. They were also 9-4-2-2 doing so away from CenturyLink Arena.The Steelheads dropped their first five one-goal games last year with four of those five decisions coming in overtime or a shootout, but their first win in this scenario was Nov. 11 in Allen (5-4 SOW).

Three-In-Three: This weekend is the first time the Steelheads have begun a season with a three-game, three-day set either at home or on the road. The last time the Steelheads went three-straight days with games was on Jan. 29-31, 2016 in a three-game stretch against the Atlanta Gladiators, and the team went 3-0-0 with a shootout win. During the 2015-16 season, the Steelheads played three-game stretches three times, combining for a 5-3-1 record but going 0-2-1 when playing two different teams over that span (Orlando & Florida, Nov. 12-14, 2015).

For Sure, McClure: Steelheads forward Brad McClure continues to remain hot to open the season, scoring the lone goal in last night’s loss. Dating back to the preseason, the rookie forward now has goals in four-straight games, posting five points (4g, 1a) during that time while being the lone Steelheads player with points in all games played this year. His goal last night also represents the first shorthanded goal of the season for the Steelheads. McClure leads the team with two points through two games, and the Steelheads scored 10 shorthanded goals last year.

Battery Power: Though only through two games, the Steelheads have had a strong season debut from both Philippe Desrosiers and Ryan Faragher, combining for just four goals allowed in just over six periods of play. The combination of the two have hosted a 1.92 goals-against average with a .939 save percetage (62-66 saves) through the first two games with one penalty shot save and three saves on four shots in a shootout. The performance is just better than the trend set between the two through 56 games, during which Desrosiers and Faragher combined for a 2.60 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage with four shutouts.

Double Dutch: Oilers forwards Adam Pleskach (1g, 1a) and Ryan Tesink (2 assists) each started their 2018-19 seasons with a multi-point night and each combining on both goals scored. Pleskach returns to the roster and the second-leading scorer with 52 points (23g, 29a) through all 72 games played and now has two seasons with 45+ points recorded. Tesink averaged just over a half point per game last year for the Oilers, tallying 25 points (14g, 11a) through 49 games between Tulsa and Rapid City and is now with his fifth team in three seasons.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS:

Next Game: The Steelheads open the 2018-19 home schedule on Friday, Oct. 19 at 7:10 p.m. at CenturyLink Arena against the Utah Grizzlies. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on 1350-AM KTIK and ECHL TV.