Thunder’s playoff hopes dim with defeat
Wichita’s climb toward an ECHL Central Division playoff spot got steeper Sunday after a 5-1 loss to fourth-place Tulsa at Intrust Bank Arena.
The Thunder (30-29-1-5) lost its sixth straight game and second in eight days to the Oilers (34-27-2-3). Tulsa dealt the Thunder a 4-1 setback on March 21.
With five games — all at home — remaining in the regular season, the Thunder has 68 points and trails the Oilers by five. Wichita’s next game is Wednesday against Allen, which has already clinched the division. The Thunder will face Allen twice more, and Tulsa twice more as well.
Ground can be made up, but coach Kevin McClelland said the Thunder probably can’t do this on its own.
“We’ve got to get some help,” he said. “The help we’ve got to get is win our games. We picked a bad time of the year to go on a losing streak.
“That can’t happen.”
Fatigue might have played a role, as the Thunder was playing its eighth game in 12 nights, McClelland said. The Thunder’s last victory was March 17, in overtime at Allen.
Unlike the last meeting with Tulsa, Wichita had some breaks early, getting four power-play opportunities in the game’s first 11½ minutes. But the Oilers and goaltender Kevin Carr managed to turn the Thunder away each time.
“We had open nets; we missed the open net,” McClelland said. “(If) we get out to a 1-0 lead, who knows what happens from there?”
In fact, Tulsa’s first goal was a short-handed one, by Phil Brewer at 5:27 of the opening period.
Thanks to the power plays, Wichita was able to outshoot Tulsa in the first period, but Wichita could manage just six shots on Carr in the second period.
As in the earlier game, the Thunder stopped Carr’s shutout bid in the final period, on Todd Hosmer’s 22nd goal of the season, finally breaking through on a power-play opportunity.
But by that time, Tulsa had a comfortable 3-1 lead.
Wichita had another power-play chance when Tulsa’s Justin Mansfield went off for tripping at 10:34, but the Thunder’s Nikita Kashirsky was called for hooking 44 seconds into the advantage, stifling the opportunity.
The Oilers then scored twice more for the final margin.
“We just gave up some real loose goals in the third period when it was 3-1,” McClelland said. “We had a couple of opportunities on the power play, then we ended up evening it out (on the penalty), then they get a couple of loose goals.”
On two of their goals, the Oilers managed to get in deep on Boron.
“Two-on-ones, just guys not being where their surroundings are out there,” McClelland said. “Not doing the little things, like getting pucks deep. Turning it over at the offensive blue line, and bang, up chasing a two-on-one.”
Tulsa | 1 | 1 | 3 | – | 5 |
Wichita | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 |
First period – 1. Tulsa, Brewer (Booras) (sh), 5:27 .
Penalties – Booras, T, (slashing), 2:28; Bochek, T, (tripping ), 4:36; Booras, T, (delay of game), 9:15; Fisher, T, (boarding), 11:27; Trebish, W, (hooking), 15:10; Trebish, W, (5-min fighting), 17:33; Ramsay, T, (5-min fighting), 17:33; Pszenyczny, T, (tripping), 18:51.
Second period – 2. Tulsa, Ramsay (Birzinsh, Carr), 10:17.
Penalties – Gauthier, W, (tripping), 14:05; Pszenyczny, T, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:31; Walker, W, (roughing), 19:31.
Third period – 3. Tulsa, Pleskach (Jubinville), 5:05. 4. Wichita, Hosmer (Flath, Melland), (pp), 7:48; 5. Tulsa, Booras (Lutz), 15:07. 6. Tulsa, Birzinsh (Fisher, Jubinville), 18:46.
Penalties – Ramsay, T, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:52; Hoshaw, T, (high-sticking), 8:08; Mansfield, T (tripping) 10:34; Kashirsky, W, (hooking), 11:18; Gauthier, W, (slashing), 16:35; Lutz, T, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 16:35; Birzinsh, T, (unsportsmanlike conduct), 18:46; Milan, W, (roughing), 18:46.
Shots on goal – Tulsa 8-12-10—30, Wichita 10-6-12—28. Power plays – Tulsa 0 for 3, Wichita, 1 for 8. Goalies – Tulsa, Carr, 27 saves on 28 shots. Wichita, Boron, 25 saves on 30 shots.
This story was originally published March 29, 2015 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Thunder’s playoff hopes dim with defeat."