Starters: Bucks - Igor Agarunov (F/D), Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel (D), Mike Looby (D), Lance Monych (F), Evan Schwabe (F), Kris Tebbs (G); Trevor Cann (G), Derek Eastman (D), Sean Erickson (D), Rob Hisey (F), Jake Riddle (F), Troy Riddle (F).
First Period: Seems Agarunov is being used as a forward again because of the two guys who are out today. Only five d-men for the Bucks for the second game in a row, despite the new addition. Justin Styffe has taken the game's first penalty at 1:40 in the period after tripping one of the Oilers skating into the Bucks' zone. The Oilers are ninth in the league with a 15.4 power-play percentage heading into this advantage. ... The Bucks only allowed one shot on that kill, but not long after Styffe left the box, Dieude-Fauvel is headed in there for cross-checking at 3:56. ... Time for some 4-on-4 with Eastman headed to the box at 5:15 for hooking. The Bucks will get a power play for 41 seconds once Dieude-Fauvel gets out of the box. ... Nothing doing on any of that, and the fact that most of the shots are missing the net has the shot count at a low 3-2 in favor of the Bucks. ... Spoke too soon, and Styffe decided to prove me wrong with a pretty lucky goal at 7:57 in the period. After Cann went out behind his net to try to pass the puck out, Styffe got a hold of it and managed to bounce it off of Cann into the net. Neil Trimm and Eric Giosa are getting assists, but I'm sure Cann knows it was all his fault. Kind of reminded me of the second goal of this hat trick. In theory, anyway. ... Bucks get a power play not long after that goal with Thomas Harrison being sent to the box at 8:09 for interference. ... Bucks will get 23 seconds of a 5-on-3 now as Derek Merlini, the tallest player in this game at 6-foot-6 (one inch taller than former teammate and possible fight opponent Robin Richards), upended Styffe and was called for tripping at 9:47. ... The Bucks really just don't seem to like two-man advantages this season. ... The one-man advantage looked a little better, but not good enough to score. ... Tebbs must be pretty bored, having faced only two shots so far with seven minutes to go in the period. The Bucks have taken 12 on Cann and probably about 15 that have missed the net. ... Oilers getting another power-play chance with Monych headed to the box at 15:58 for slashing. ... I don't have great vision, so I'm not sure, but I think Billsten is standing over in the section behind what is currently the Bucks' net and wearing the brightest green tie I've ever seen. ... A little bit more 4-on-4 now with Dan Riedel going to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct at 17:10. Bucks will get 1:12 on the power play when Monych gets out of the sin bin. ... That didn't last long, as Smith will join Monych in the box after taking a roughing call for a shove at center ice at 17:29. Penalty party for all. ... Geeze, now Riedel has company with a trip by T.J. Caig right off the faceoff that followed the call against Smith. He's going in at 17:32, just three seconds after Smith did. Three-on-three is always an interesting predicament for guys not used to playing with so few teammates on the ice. ... One of the Bucks, sorry I didn't catch who, just his the post at ice level, and the crowd thought for sure it was a goal. Not the case. ... Adam Rivet just passed the puck directly to Adam Bartholomay while on the 5-on-4 power-play portion of all those penalties, but Bartholomay didn't seem confident going in for a shot, and the way he held up gave Eastman the chance for a slap shot that Tebbs was able to stop. ... End of the period, Bucks lead 1-0, up 16-5 on shots. ... The assists on Styffe's goal have been changed to Giosa and Dieude-Fauvel.
Second Period: One of the Bucks just knocked the rebound from a shot by the Oilers into the net. Holladay was one of the guys out front of the net, but I'm not sure it was him. Tebbs had batted the puck away, then his own guy knocked it past him. Okay, it was Holladay. Aaron Davis, who took the initial shot, gets the goal, and Caig is getting what is currently the lone assist. Goal came at 1:58 and ties the game at 1-1. ... Trimm just had a great chance when a shot attempt from Jeff Bes hit his stick right in front of the net, but he would have had to manage to knock it in behind himself, and he couldn't quite do that. ... An assist has been added for Tyler Fleck on that goal. I guess it's only fair that each team score on itself once if one is going to get away with it. ... Erickson just made the save of the game so far with his goalie down leaving an easy shot open for the Bucks. He batted it out of the air, but not before the goal judge lit the lamp knowing there was no way Cann was going to be able to stop the shot. ... Smith just got two shots on net, the second on a wraparound attempt, and Cann gave up big rebounds on both, but no other Bucks were around to clean up the trash. ... Bucks get the first power play of the period at 5:51 with Caig going to the box to serve a penalty for too many men on the ice. ... Hisey, who is apparently the league leader in shorthanded goals just got a 2-on-1 with Troy Riddle, and the duo seemed destined to score but Tebbs made the save. ... Caig just broke away with another Oiler, not sure who, and they got a shot off that bounced off the top of the net after a frantic save by Tebbs, who had to make another stop just seconds later. Oilers outshooting the Bucks 9-7 through the first 8:30 of the middle period. ... The Oilers really don't mind putting their bodies out there to stop the puck. Fleck just sprawled out across the ice to break up a pass that would have given Trimm a wide-open chance. Smith tripped over him a few seconds later, but no harm done. ... Okay, now everyone is tripping over everyone else, and everything. Is something wrong with the ice? ... Styffe just jumped Fleck after Fleck took Smith out as Smith was entering the Bucks' zone. Bes then went after Harrison, albeit not as violently, and plenty more pushing and shoving ensued. Not sure you want to have any player in the box for five minutes with a couple guys already missing from your lineup, but Styffe did what he thought he needed to do. ... Took the refs quite a while to work out the penalties on that, and immediately after they did, the Bucks grabbed a 2-1 lead on a goal by Trimm on a rebound from a shot by Bes. Smith gets the second assist. That goal came at 11:42 in the period, and all the penalties were taken at 11:35. Fleck got a kneeing minor and a fighting major, and Styffe got an instigating minor and 10-minute misconduct and the five for fighting, so he'll be missing for 15 minutes total. ... And as soon as that goal was announced, the Bucks added another, this time with Bes getting his 10th of the season. He had a pretty much wide open net with Cann faked out to the other side. That was a nice little tic-tac-toe play for Bes and Smith, who Cann thought would be the one to take the shot. Trimm gets the second assist, and the Bucks lead 3-1 at the 12-minute mark of the period. ... Agarunov is being sent to box for interference at 13:21 after knocking his own goalie's net off its moorings. ... The Bucks just stole the puck but then immediately turned it over to give the Oilers a decent chance on which Hisey hit the post. ... A clearing attempt by one of the Bucks just hit Smith pretty hard, possibly in the face. ... A couple of impressive quick saves by Tebbs, who was being screened by pretty much every player on the ice. ... And now the Oilers have scored their first goal against him at 16:04. I say that because Holladay scored the one earlier in the game. That one was scored by Jeff Gumaer, who now has his first professional goal in his first professional game. Assists go to Bartholomay and Jim Henkemeyer. This team is just full of difficult names. Bucks lead 3-2. ... Looby just got called for a pretty week cross-checking penalty after knocking Hisey (I think) over with a pretty light hit near the boards, not even really into them. Oilers get a power play with 32.5 seconds left in the period, so they'll get 1:27.5 on the advantage to start the third if they don't score here. ... So much for that. Erickson just knocked one in top shelf on a beautiful feed by Davis. Seriously perfect pass. Oh, and that was with 1.1 seconds on the clock. Ouch for the Bucks. Caig gets the second assist. ... End of the period, game tied 3-3, Bucks up 26-21 on shots. They were outshot 16-10 in the second.
Third Period: Fleck missed the net on what was probably the best chance of the period so far about 4:15 into it. ... Highlight reel save by Tebbs at 5:39 keeps this thing tied. ... And on the Bucks' first rush after that, it is no longer tied, as Evan Schwabe sent one past Cann to give the Bucks a 4-3 lead at 5:53 in the period. Monych gave Schwabe the puck, and he skated in on Cann and faked him out well enough to get his goal. And now they are showing his girlfriend flipping out on the Jumbotron. Second assist goes to Agarunov. ... Just as I was about to say you certainly have to give the Oilers points for effort, they managed to knock another one in on a mad scramble around the net. Rebound goal scored by Caig, assisted by Reidel and good ol' Marty Standish. ... Just noticed they changed the assists on Styffe's goal in the first to Jarred Mohr and Bes. Indecisive much? ... Just been informed this is the first time the Oilers have scored four or more goals since Dec. 1. That game was a 7-6 loss, by the way. ... Bucks just got about a million rebound chances as the Oilers failed to clear the puck for Cann but couldn't get one in the net. ... The Oilers turned around and did just that at the other end, taking a 5-4 lead at 16:57 in the period on a modified wraparound by Hisey. Assists go to Troy Riddle and Jake Riddle, how cute. That was the Oilers' 32nd shot on Tebbs. Bucks have taken 40 on Cann so far. ... Merlini just broke his stick on a slap shot, causing me to wonder if his are more expensive to replace because of his height. Random, I know. ... Even though they're only missing two skaters, the Bucks' bench looks incredibly empty. ... Only 1:12 left for the Bucks to tie this. ... Tebbs hanging out between the circles waiting for a signal to leave the ice and not getting one. ... A whistle to set up a faceoff in the Oilers' zone with 51.6 to play finally got Tebbs to the bench. Extra attacker for the Bucks. ... And now they'll go 6-on-4 with Troy Riddle being sent to the box for a blatant hooking penalty with 41.9 to go. ... Bucks couldn't manage a shot on net for the first 24.6 of that. Getting another faceoff in front of Cann now. ... And now another after a big body save that Cann pulled into his chest with 11.6 left on the clock. ... Schwabe managed a shot as time expired, but it was deflected up into the netting.
Game Over: Bucks lose 5-4, fall to 13-8-6 (32 points). Oilers win for just the second time in 11 games, improve to 14-12-1 (29 points). ... Between the loss, the Cody Hamilton situation and trying to figure out if Tebbs being here is temporary, this should be a fun postgame interview.
Postgame: Ruskowski actually didn't put much blame on his players for this loss, citing injuries as their main problem in not being able to hold onto this one. He also said this was the last game Tebbs would be playing with the Bucks, as he is returning to Corpus Christi to start a semester at school. He's looking to bring in another goalie, as well as some skaters, to fill space until Jean-Philippe Levasseur is back and all the other guys are healthy.
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