OILERS COMEBACK ENDS IN SHOOTOUT LOSS TO ARIZONA

TULSA, OK - The Tulsa Oilers were constantly down, but not out until Shawn Morton-Boutin sealed a 7-6 shootout victory for the Arizona Sundogs on Tuesday night at the BOK Center. 

Box Score | Game Live

Three times in the contest, the visiting Sundogs (4-7-3) held three goal leads but the Oilers (8-4-2) just kept on pressing.  Down 6-4 in the third period, Tulsa got a goal from newly signed forward Troy Ofukany to cut the deficit down to one.  Nine minutes later, Ryan Cramer wristed home his fifth goal of the season on the powerplay to tie the game at six.

Arizona led 2-0 after a lackluster first period by the Oilers in which they were outshot 17-8.  The middle frame was owned by Oilers rookie and leading goal-scorer, Mike Ullrich.  The 25-year old center scored three times in nine minutes to bring the Oilers back within a goal.  It was the first professional hat-trick for Ullrich who leads all CHL rookies in goals and points.

The Sundogs responded early in the third period and got a two-goal cushion when Kyle Hood's centering feed found the stick of Samson Mahbod who chipped the puck past Oilers netminder Mike Garman.  Once again, the Oilers showed their resiliency and sent the game into overtime.  After a scoreless five minutes, both Garman and Arizona goalie Scott Reid made sparkling saves in the shootout.  One after one, shooters were turned aside until Oilers forward Jay Sprague finally beat Reid high to the glove side.  Adam Smyth put a shot past Garman to keep the Sundogs alive and after a miss by Gary Steffes, Morton-Boutin's snap shot over the blocker of Garman sealed the win for the Sundogs.

Garman saw his first action as an Oiler after relieving starter Ian Keserich in the second period.  Garman made eight saves on nine shots while Reid picked up his third win of the season by making 36 saves on 42 shots.  The Oilers four-game win streak was snapped, but Tulsa still has nine points in it's last five games.