MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINAL:IDAHO STEELHEADS @ TULSA OILERSSeries: TUL leads 1-0

SUNDAY, APR. 28, 2019 | 3:05 P.M. MTBOK CENTER | TULSA, OKRADIO: 1350 AM KTIK |STREAM: ECHL TV | WATCH PARTY: SPORTS ZONE

Today’s Game: The Steelheads meet with the Tulsa Oilers in Game 2 of the Mountain Division Final in the 2019 U.S. Bank Kelly Cup Playoffs, presented by SmileDirectClub, from the BOK Center.

Head-To-Head: The Steelheads fell in their first postseason franchise meeting with the Oilers on Friday night and have a chance to once again have their series even following today’s game. The two sides met 10 times during the 2018-19 regular season and split their decisions down the middle, going 5-4-1 each during the run with one overtime result for the Oilers and one for the Steelheads. The Steelheads now own a 79-58-17 record all-time in the Kelly Cup Playoffs with a 17-13 series record. The Oilers are just 2-3-1 in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, losing their lone series in the 2015 Division Semifinals.

Last Game: The Steelheads fell 3-1 to the Oilers on Friday night from BOK Center to open the series. Steelheads forward Henrik Samuelsson (5:02 1st) scored the first goal of the series to edge ahead, 1-0. The Oilers scored two goals to answer later in the frame thanks to forwards Adam Pleskach (14:54 1st) and Alex Dostie (PP, 17:48 1st) to take the lead, 2-1. Pleskach (EN, 18:44 3rd) added one insurance goal to complete the 3-1 win. Devin Williams (5-3-0) stopped 33 of 34 shots in the win, while Tomas Sholl (4-2-0) halted 23 of 25 shots in the loss.

Uprooted: For the second-straight time this postseason, the Steelheads fell in Game 1 of a series with only one goal scored. This is also the third-straight series in which the Steelheads lost the opening game but the 13th time since 2007, including three times in four attempts during their 2007 Kelly Cup Championship run. The Steelheads won four-straight games in the Mountain Division Semifinals after falling in the opening game. Overall, the Steelheads are 6-7 in series when dropping Game 1 of a series.

Clean Billing: Friday’s opening game of the series was not only the cleanest game played so far through six games but also was one of the cleanest games the Steelheads have ever played in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. The two penalty minute night was the fewest recorded by the Steelheads since online records were kept in the 2009 playoffs, overtaking the four penalty minutes recorded on May 21, 2010 in Cincinnati (2-1 L), Apr. 19, 2012 against Las Vegas (4-3 W) and May 3, 2013 against Stockton (3-1 L). The eight combined penalty minutes was the lowest since that same game against Stockton. The Steelheads still lead the ECHL in penalty minutes (136) in the playoffs (22.67 per game).

Power Outage: The Steelheads power play has struggled to get on its feat in the opening six games of the playoffs, only scoring once in now 20 attempts including going scoreless in three attempts on Friday. The team’s lone goal came in Game 2 of the Mountain Division Semifinals but have since been scoreless in 18-straight attempts in just over five-straight games. The Steelheads had a similar stretch top open 2019, going scoreless in seven of nine games from January 6 through January 26 before scoring in four-straight games and six of seven contests through February 9.

Super Sammy: Steelheads forward Henrik Samuelsson scored the lone goal of Friday’s loss but kept his best stretch of the season going with that tally. The Pittsburgh, Penn. native now has points in five-straight games, registering all seven points of his postseason during that stretch following an empty scoreline to open the playoffs. His road streak of four games is tied for the top of the ECHL, and his shooting pct. (5-for-11, 45.5%) also ranks second in the ECHL, only trailing Manchester’s Kevin Dufour (6-for-13, 46.2%). Samuelsson leads the Steelheads in goals (five) and points (seven) through six games.

Slow But Steady: The Tulsa Oilers have made a habit of coming from behind in games, especially when starting out slow in first period scoring. Including Friday’s win, the Oilers have now conceded the opening goal in six of eight games this postseason, however the team has been able to win four of those six games including two-straight attempts which combines their 4-2 win in Game 6 against Kansas City. Even if allowing the first goal, the Oilers are now 3-1-0 so far this postseason when leading after the first period. The Oilers were 15-23-4 in the regular season when allowing the first goal.

Not Dos-cile: Oilers forward Alex Dostie has been lethal in the playoffs thus far, scoring again in Friday’s opening game win. The Drummondville, Q.C. native now has goals in five-straight games since April 19, boasting eight goals and 11 points during his recent streak to lead the ECHL in goals (10) and share the league lead in points (14) with teammate Stephen Perfetto, who has points in all eight playoff games this year. Dostie has 13 points (6g, 7a) in just 10 career ECHL regular season games including eight points (4g, 4a) in five games this season. However, in 78 career AHL games, he owns just 14 points (5g, 9a).

MOUNTAIN DIVISION FINAL:

#1 Tulsa Oilers vs. #2 Idaho SteelheadsGame 1: Idaho at Tulsa – Friday, April 26 • TUL wins 3-1Game 2: Idaho at Tulsa – Sunday, April 28 • 3:05 p.m. • BOK CenterGame 3: Tulsa at Idaho – Tuesday, April 30 • 7:10 p.m. • CenturyLink Arena (Game C)Game 4: Tulsa at Idaho – Wednesday, May 1 • 7:10 p.m. • CenturyLink Arena (Game D)*Game 5: Tulsa at Idaho – Friday, May 3 • 7:10 p.m. • CenturyLink Arena*Game 6: Idaho at Tulsa – Sunday, May 5 • 3:05 p.m. • BOK Center*Game 7: Idaho at Tulsa – Monday, May 6 • 6:05 p.m. • BOK Center* - if necessary (all games in Mountain Time)

Next Game: The Steelheads and Oilers head to CenturyLink Arena for Game 3 of the Mountain Division Final on Tuesday, Apr. 30 at 7:10 p.m. Tickets are available at idahosteelheads.com or by calling 208-383-0080. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on 1350 KTIK-AM as well as 7:00 p.m. on Cable One Ch. 72 and ECHL.TV.