TULSA, OK (Feb. 14) – Wichita mounted a comeback in the third period, but fell just short in a 5-4 loss on Tuesday night to Tulsa at the BOK Center.
Michal Stinil, Jake Wahlin and Chris Van Os-Shaw each had two points. Eric Dop made 32 saves in the losing effort.
Tulsa got off to a great start in the first. Mike McKee fired a one-timer at 6:29 to make it 1-0.
At 13:09, Max Golod tallied his first of two in the frame. He got behind the defense and beat Dop from in-close to make it 2-0.
He tallied his second at 17:43 as his shot redirected off a skate in front of the net and beat Dop to make it 3-0.
Timur Ibragimov cut the lead to 3-1 at 7:08 of the second. He stole the puck near the Thunder line, skated in on a breakaway and beat Colten Ellis for his 10th of the season.
Tag Bertuzzi scored at 7:08 to re-gain a three-goal lead. He intercepted a pass in near the Wichita line and beat Dop over the blocker for his 17th of the year.
In the third, Stinil tallied his 23rd of the season. He curled out in the neutral zone, skated back in over the line and rifled a shot past Ellis to make it 4-2.
At 17:29, Mark Liwiski recorded his eighth of the year to cut the lead to 4-3. He received a pass from Jake Wahlin through the slot and beat Ellis.
Golod recorded his third of the night at 19:06 into an empty-net to make it 5-3.
Wahlin cut the lead to 5-4 at 19:40 after he found a rebound to the right post and put home a backhand for his ninth of the season.
Tulsa held off the Thunder in the final 19 seconds and grabbed the win.
Stinil finished with a goal and an assist. Wahlin also had a goal and a helper. Van Os-Shaw tallied two assists.
The Thunder went 0-for-4 on the power. Tulsa was 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
