Antti Tyrvainen leads OKC Barons past Hamilton

Tyrvainen scored an unassisted short-handed goal early in the second period to help the Barons to a 3-0 win over Hamilton in front of 2,652 at the Cox Center on Tuesday night.

After the game, while injured Andrew Lord distracted Tyrvainen with his cowboy hat as he did a postgame interview, Josh Green delivered a shaving cream pie to Tyrvainen's face as much of the rest of the team squealed in laughter.

“It was way bad,” Tyrvainen said after a quick rinse. “I couldn't open my eyes and it tastes very bad.”

That didn't matter, though, as the birthday boy's play was a big reason the Barons (43-19-4-5) moved a step closer to wrapping up the American Hockey League's Western Conference crown.

After clinching both a playoff spot and the Western Division title on their recent two-game road trip, Oklahoma City is now six points ahead of second-place Toronto in the conference race with five games to play.

Paired with Anton Lander and Tanner House of late, Tyrvainen's play has blossomed.

Tyrvainen now has a four-game points streak, scoring three goals and a pair of assists.

“From the start of the season, we knew he had the skills,” Barons coach Todd Nelson said. “He plays an abrasive style. He's playing with confidence now and has good chemistry with his linemates.”