SteelHounds lose shootout to Tulsa, 3-2

Warren McCutcheon’s goal in the shootout session helped to sink Youngstown.

By GREG GULAS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — When it is all said and done, the Youngstown SteelHounds will look back at Saturday’s loss to the Tulsa Oilers as the one win that got away.

Warren McCutcheon’s goal in the shootout session helped lift the Oilers to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over the SteelHounds in Central Hockey League action at the Chevrolet Centre as they gained a split of their weekend series and a split of the four regular season games played between these two teams.

The win, coupled with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs’ 3-1 win over the Mississippi RiverKings, knocked the SteelHounds out of first-place as they now hit the road for a three-game trip beginning Tuesday night with the Mudbugs.

After a scoreless first period in which Youngstown enjoyed a 14-11 shot advantage, the SteelHounds looked to the second stanza to pick up the tempo.

Youngstown missed a golden opportunity to take the lead just 3:11 into the period when Petr Pohl’s penalty shot was stopped by Tulsa goalie Kevin St. Pierre.

In all, St. Pierre would stop 48 of Youngstown’s 50 shots on the night.

Kirill Starkov’s fourth goal of the season, a power play opportunity at 11:46 of the period, gave the SteelHounds the goal advantage.

When Steve Birnstill notched his second tally of the year with two seconds remaining in the period, Youngstown had built a 2-0 margin heading to the final period of play.

SteelHounds’ captain Chris Richard’s assisted on Birnstill’s goal as he registered his 399th career C.H.L. assist. His next assist would make him just the ninth player in league history to join the select “400 Assist Club.”

Tulsa’s David Beauregard finally got the Oilers on the board at 9:41 of the final period as his team-leading 16th goal of the year, on the power play, cut the Youngstown lead in half, 2-1.

Lucas Burnett’s goal at 13:31 then knotted the score at 2-all and proved to be enough to force the overtime session.

Former SteelHound captain Jeff Christian assisted on both of the Oilers’ scores.

After a scoreless overtime period, Beauregard, McCutcheon and Paul Kelly each registered in the shootout while St. Pierre allowed just one shot past the crease, that coming off the stick of Jason Baird.

The SteelHounds, now 20-8-2 (42 points) overall, saw their three-game win streak come to a screeching halt as they fell for just the third time in nine home outings this season.

The Oilers, 9-17-3 (21 points) on the season, won for just the fourth time (4-10-1) on the road and improved to 3-1 in four games that have gone to a shootout.