The Mavericks are back in action at home tonight against the Tulsa Oilers. The Mavericks are currently in their first losing streak of the season having lost against Wichita and Tulsa. The Mavericks have seemed to be a little bit snake bit against Tulsa this season, especially on the power play, but the advantage of being on home ice can’t be overstated. Tulsa is the only team the Mavericks have played that they haven’t beaten so there should be a fire under the Mavericks tonight to get the job done. Sometimes when you’re flying high, it’s easy to forget what it’s like to lose. This team is resilient and I still expect great things from them this season.

Roster News: After missing 13 games with an ankle injury, Joey Sides is expected to be back in the lineup tonight! Before being injured, Joey recorded a goal and 2 assists in 3 games. Other than the great news about Joey’s return, yesterday the Mavericks announced that Matt Robertson is taking a leave of absence from the team and has been placed on team suspension. Robertson is one of the team’s leading scorers with 12 points (6g,6a) in 12 games. The Mavericks said it was for personal reasons and wished him luck so it doesn’t sound like it’s for any negative reason.Hopefully Robertson returns soon.

Snake Bit: While the Mavericks have enjoyed great success against most teams this season, they haven’t seemed to be able to make a breakthrough against tonight’s opponent,the Tulsa Oilers. The Mavericks have lost both outings against Tulsa. Both of those games, however, were in the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Mavericks’ power play has seemed to suffer the most against Tulsa going just 1-for-11 against the Oilers. Tulsa’s penalty kill sits at 19th in the league going 53-for-64(.828) whereas the Mavericks Power Play is 3rd in the league at 16-for-76 (.211). The special teams matchups will be very important tonight. Tulsa’s success has ridden on the work in net by St. Louis Blues Goalie Prospect Evan Fitzpatrick. In 10 games, Fitzpatrick has posted a 7-0-0-2 record with a 2.17 GAA and a .922 Save Percentage.

7-For-7: The Mavericks go into tonight’s game with a home record that remains pristine. 7 of their 11 wins this season have come on home ice, and this has allowed them to cement themselves at third in the Mountain Division. If they can knock off Tulsa tonight and tomorrow, they can take over second place in the division.

Hockey Night in Kansas City: Tomorrow night’s matchup against the Tulsa Oilers will be the first of 10 games televised this season. The game will be shown on KSMO TV Channel 62. Joel Goldberg of the Royals’ broadcast team will be returning as the play-by-play announcer, but Simon Watson will not be returning as color commentator after taking the head coaching position with the Topeka Pilots. The new color commentator will be announced before the game tomorrow. Game time is at 7:05 PM be sure to watch!

Keys to Success

Dominant Power Play: The Mavericks’ power play needs to find its stride against the Oilers. The Mavericks have the third best power play in the ECHL, and tonight going up against a middling penalty kill should be a perfect opportunity for it to shine.

Strike Hard, Early: The Mavericks need to establish dominance early. By coming out with a heavy physical presence and scoring several quick goals, they can take the wind out of Tulsa’s sail and all but guarantee a successful effort (not gonna use the “V” word and jinx the whole thing). Establishing dominance will be incumbent on the Mavericks finishing their checks, being tight defensively, and producing quality shots on goal.

Game 17

When: 7:05 PM

Where: Silverstein Eye Centers Arena, Independence, MO

How To Watch: In person ($10 corral seats still available), ECHL.TV, Live Play-By-Play on the Mavericks app, Call by Bob Rennison