Scott Hillman might have lost a game, but he didn’t lose his sense of humor.
Hillman’s Missouri Mavericks fell to visiting Tulsa 4-2 Saturday night at the Independence Events Center before a sold-out crowd of 5,800.
Following the loss, special pink jerseys worn by the Mavericks were auctioned off to an enthusiastic group of fans who stayed after the game had concluded.
After many of the jerseys were auctioned, Hillman came out from the locker room carrying his 3-year-old son Gunhar – who was wearing his Mavericks jersey and a goaltender mask.
“Thank you for your support, in the good times and the bad,” Hillman said. “We appreciate your support, and now, I’d like to keep the auction going with this 3-year old. Let’s start the bidding at $500.”
The fans loved it.
“That’s why 500 or 600 people waited after the game to bid on jerseys,” Blue Springs resident Jeff Barge said, “because of Scott Hillman and the bond he and the team have with the community. This is pretty amazing.”
The jerseys went for between $700 and $1,550 dollars, and they hadn’t even auctioned off fan favorites Carlyle Lewis and team captain Jeff Christian.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity.
Christian missed Friday night’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Oilers to be with his 8-year-old daughter Ryan, who is battling an illness at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
“Jeff needed to be with Ryan and his family Friday night,” Hillman said Saturday night. “We didn’t expect him to be with the team tonight, but it shows what type of professional he is.
“He goes out and gets a goal and an assist tonight, and you know his heart is with Ryan. In the perfect sports world, he scores the winning goal and Ryan gets better and leaves the hospital.
“But the world isn’t perfect. We did hear this afternoon that she is getting better and Jeff left right after the game to be with her and his wife.”
Before Christian left the Events Center, he said, “Please thank the fans for their prayers. They mean a lot to us.”
Missouri fell to 20-21-4, while the Oilers improved to 22-19-2 to take a two-point lead over the Mavericks for the fifth and final playoff spot in the Northern Conference.
“We didn’t get accomplished what we had hoped to accomplish this weekend,” Hillman said, following the back-to-back losses to the Oilers. “We get one point and they get four – but there are 19 games left.
“It’s not time to push the panic button, but it’s time to play better hockey than we did the past two games.”
While Christian and Mike Burgoyne each tallied a goal and an assist, Oilers goaltender Trevor Cann stopped 37 shots to receive the No. 1 star of the game.
Jim Henkemeyer had a goal and an assist for Tulsa and Aaron Davis notched two assists. The win marked the fifth of five games in which the road team has won between the Oilers and Mavericks this season.
Travis Banga put the Oilers up at 9:16 of the first period when he took a feed from Henkemeyer on a three-on-two advantage and snapped a shot past Mavericks goaltender Alexandre Vincent.
Missouri tied the game early in the second period when Burgoyne took a pass from Christian and slapped it past the stick of Cann. Newcomer Toby Lafrance assisted on the goal. He now has a goal and assist in two games with his new team.
“I don’t even know a lot of guys on the team, but we’re having a Super Bowl party on Sunday and I hope to get to know them better,” said Lafrance, who drove to Independence from Montreal three days ago. “I like this team and I like playing for this coach. We are going to get better over the next 19 games.”
Tulsa regained the lead for good on T.J. Caig’s 20th goal of the season. Henkemeyer extended the Oilers lead to 3-1 at the 14:25 mark when he one-timed a Dan Reidel pass into the back of the net.
Oilers defenseman Adam Bartholomay made it a 4-1 game at the 4:40 mark of the final period on an assist from Jeff Gumaer.
Missouri desperately tried to get back in the game and made it 4-2 on Christian’s 24th goal of the season. It was a five-on-three power play goal with the extra attacker, and it came with just 2:22 remaining.
“We have some few faces on the team and we have four days of practice until we play (at home) next Thursday,” Hillman said. “The last 19 games are very important. It’s almost as if every game from here on out is a playoff game.”
SATURDAY’S SUMMARY
TULSA OILERS 4, MISSOURI MAVERICKS 2
At Independence Events Center
TULSA OILERS 1 2 1 — 4
MISSOURI MAVERICKS 0 1 1 — 2
First Period—1, Tulsa, Travis Banga (Jim Henkemeyer, Troy Riddle), 9:16. Penalties—Jordan Foreman, Mavericks (power play) (Jeff Christian, Toby Lafrance), 1:58; Dan Riedel, Tulsa (roughing), 3:57; Carlyle Lewis, Mavericks (major, fighting), 7:36; Thomas Harrison, Tulsa (major, fighting), 7:36; Brett Hammond, Mavericks (interference), 17:04; Aaron Davis, Tulsa (roughing), 19:17; Simon Watson, Mavericks (tripping).
Second Period—2, Mavericks, Mike Burgoyne (power play) (Jeff Christian, Toby Lafrance), 1:58; 3, Tulsa, T.J. Caig (Aaron Davis), 7:46; 4, Tulsa, Jim Henkemeyer (Dan Riedel, Aaron Davis), 14:25; Penalties—Troy Riddle, Tulsa (hooking), 0:34; Jeff MacDermid, Mavericks (tripping), 8:16; Jordan Foreman, Mavericks (major, fighting), 8:16; T.J. Caig, Tulsa (major, fighting), 8:16; Jeff Gumaer, Tulsa (too many men on ice bench minor), 10:52.
Third Period—5, Tulsa, Adam Bartholomay (Jeff Gumaer, Derek Eastman), 4:40; 6, Mavericks, Jeff Christian (power play) (extra attacker) (Nick Sirota, Simon Watson), 17:38. Penalties—T.J. Caig, Tulsa (hooking), 1:20; Derek Merlini, Tulsa (tripping), 9:55; Todd Paul, Mavericks (cross checking), 12:39; Travis Banga, Tulsa (roughing), 13:59; Carlyle Lewis, Mavericks (tripping), 16:23; Jim Henkemeyer, Tulsa (tripping), 16:23; Marty Standish, Tulsa (cross checking), 17:16.
Shots on goal—Tulsa 12-6-9–27; Mavericks 12-12-15–39.
Power-play opportunities—Tulsa 0 for 3; Mavericks 2 for 8.
Goalies—Tulsa, Trevor Cann 9-5-1 (39 shots, 37 saves); Mavericks, Alexandre Vincent 8-11-1 (27 shots, 23 saves)
Stars of the game—First: Trevor Cann, Tulsa; Second: Jim Henkemeyer, Tulsa; Third: T.J. Caig, Tulsa.
Time—2:29.
Attendance—5,800.
