PREVIEW: IDAHO STEELHEADS (22-12-5) VS. TULSA OILERS (16-21-3)

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15, 2020 | 7:10 P.M. MTCENTURYLINK ARENA | BOISE, IDTICKETS: CLICK HERETV: SPARKLIGHT CH. 72 | RADIO: 93.1 KTIK-FM | STREAM: ECHL TV

Tonight’s Game: The Steelheads open the home portion of the 2020 calendar year and begin a three-game weekend against the Tulsa Oilers from CenturyLink Arena.

Head-To-Head: The Steelheads ended a three-game skid against the Oilers in their last meeting on January 5 and now have four games remaining for their eight-game season series. Wednesday’s game begins one of only three home meetings this season, but the Oilers can claim at least a share of the season series with a win in any of the final four games head-to-head. The Steelheads have played three times in January with four games remaining on the month. The Steelheads are 16-9-2 against the Oilers all-time in the regular season and 6-4-1 at CenturyLink Arena.

Last Game: The Steelheads scored early to take a 4-2 win against the Fort Wayne Komets on Sunday evening from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Steelheads forward Zack Andrusiak (9:30 1st) deflected a blue line shot for the game’s opening tally followed by Steelheads forward Brett Supinski (12:59 1st) off a turnover to snag an early 2-0 lead. After an answer by Komets forward Jermaine Loewen (6:54 2nd), two more stretched across for the Steelheads starting with forward Max Coatta (PP, 11:47 2nd) and continued by defenseman Ondrej Vala (16:52 2nd) for a 4-1 lead. Though Komets forward Brett McKenzie (5:01 3rd) earned one goal back, the Steelheads held strong for the 4-2 win. Tomas Sholl (17-5-4) turned away 32 of 34 shots in the win. Dylan Ferguson halted eight of 10 shots to open the game, while Cole Kehler (9-6-1) stopped 19 of 21 shots in relief during the loss.

Home, Sweet Home: The Steelheads completed their six-game road trip on Sunday evening with a three-game win streak heading back to Boise. The Steelheads earned a 4-2-0 record during the trip, marking the second time the Steelheads have earned at least an even record in two chances during road trips of five games or more. During the trip, the Steelheads scored three goals or more in all four wins while also scoring on the power play in three-straight games (4-for-13, 30.8%). The stretched ballooned their road record to 13-5-4, securing the second-most road wins in the ECHL only behind South Carolina (15). The Steelheads have won 10 of their last 13 games heading into tonight.

Blizzard of Moves: The Steelheads saw a flurry of transactions on Tuesday including a trade, an assignment and a signing. First, the Steelheads acquired Colby McAuley from Orlando while sending forward Conner Bleackley to Maine. Then, forward Anthony Nellis returned from the Texas Stars, and the Steelheads signed goaltender Jake Kupsky. McAuley is in his third professional season and owns 64 points (26-38–64) in 98 career ECHL games between Orlando and Allen while also playing in 36 AHL games with San Jose. Nellis made his AHL debut on Saturday and returns second on the team in goals and fourth in scoring (11-11–22). Kupsky is in his first ECHL stint after four seasons at Union College, and he led the SPHL in GAA (1.78) and sat second in save pct. (.935) with Pensacola. He was also a former 7th Round selection by San Jose in the 2015 NHL Draft.

Getting The Call: Goaltender Tomas Sholl earned his first AHL call-up to the Texas Stars this morning after ending the road trip with three-straight wins. The Hermosa Beach, Calif. native boasts a 17-5-4 record with a 2.26 GAA and .921 save pct. with three shutouts through 26 games this year, leading the ECHL in wins and minutes (1,567) while sitting second in saves (685), fourth in GAA and sixth in save pct. He’s earned three ECHL Goaltender of the Week honors this season and was named ECHL Goaltender of the Month in October while owning the third-most weekly honors in ECHL history. Sholl sits at least third in all major goaltending categories for Steelheads history in the ECHL era with a 52-17-7 record along with a 2.10 GAA and .929 save pct. with 10 shutouts through 76 career games with the Steelheads.

Oil Leak: The Oilers head into the road portion of their season series with the Steelheads after an overtime shutout win over the Wichita Thunder, which helped curb a three-game losing skid at home. Since the holiday break, the Oilers have slid to a 3-5-1 record but have at least split their home games with a 3-3-0 record. Two of the team’s three wins came against the Steelheads earlier this January, but the Oilers are averaging just 2.11 goals per game in their last nine contests while scoring more than one goal in just three games (2-0-1 record). On the road, the Oilers have not fared well this year, dropping three-straight games and nine of 12 contests overall for a 3-9-3 record. The Oilers enter a stretch with eight of their next 11 games coming on the road including this three-game weekend as well as a five-game stint, their longest of the season, against Allen, Kansas City, Indy and Fort Wayne entering February.

MOUNTAIN DIVISION STANDINGS:

Next Game: The Steelheads and Oilers continue their three-game set on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:10 p.m. from CenturyLink Arena. Tickets are available by calling 208-331-TIXS(8497) or going to idahosteelheads.com. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on 1350 KTIK-AM "The Ticket" as well as 7:00 p.m. on Sparklight Ch. 72 and ECHL.tv.