Chilliwack, BC - Poker fans will be able to tell you that a full house always beats a straight. In Chilliwack, it was Ryan Howse with a big night for the Bruins that beat the Oil Kings who were playing their 5th straight game on the road. Howse scored a pair of first period goals and completed the hat trick later on as Chilliwack cruised to a 6 - 2 win over the Oil Kings who wrap up their Western Conference road trip with a record of 2-3-0-0.Chilliwack certainly did not come out of the gates like a team who was riding a 9 game losing streak heading into the game and they caught the Oil Kings off guard. Howse scored his first of the night just 93 seconds into the game and the floodgates opened up for the high scoring affair.
Tomas Vincour replied for Edmonton about 6 minutes later on a goal set up by Jeff Lee. That snapped a 3 game goal-less drought for the big Czech and seemed to give him a little extra jump.
The shots on goal were actually pretty even in the first period with the Oil Kings having a slight edge but the Bruins were getting the breaks. Things started to unravel a bit midway through the first period. Howse would beat Torrie Jung for his second of the game and 9th of the season at 10:36 and the Bruins didn't look back.
David Robinson and Dylen McKinley scored goals about 2 and a half minutes apart later in the period and Chilliwack went into the first break with a 4 - 1 lead.
The Bruins didn't take their foot off the gas to start the second period either and came looking for more on a rush just 68 seconds in. Jadon Potter took a shot that deflected wide of the net and came off the end boards hot. Torrie Jung slid across to smother the bouncing puck but he didn't have the short side of the post covered. Randy McNaught tapped one in from a bad angle to make it 5 - 1 and that was the end of the night for Torrie Jung.
The goalie pull was a wake up call for Edmonton and that message was received by the Oil Kings offensive line of Brent Raedeke, Jeff Lee and Tomas Vincour. They scored 43 seconds later when Raedeke threw a backhand on net from the high slot. Jeff Lee fought off a check to get the puck over to Vincour who buried his 10th of the year into the yawning cage. It was 5 - 2 and the Oil Kings had some life.
The next shift for that same Oil Kings line produced another great scoring chance. Brent Raedeke caused a turn over at the Oil Kings blue line and spotted Vincour streaking up the middle for a terrific breakaway pass. Vincour was hauled down at the last second before he could get a shot away and the referee signaled for one of the most exciting plays in hockey - the penalty shot.
Vincour swung out to his left and tried to get Bruins goalie Mark Friesen moving from left to right but it didn't matter. Vincour rang one off the crossbar and Chilliwack maintained their 3 goal lead.
They'd make it a 4 goal cushion with the hat trick goal from Howse. He busted down the right wing and was able to get a snap shot away from the top of the circle that made it through the defense and under the blocker of Cam Lanigan. Howse's 10th of the season and second hat trick of the year to make the final 6 - 2. Edmonton even outshot Chilliwack 37 - 19.
The Oil Kings record slips to 9-12-1-1 while the Bruins improve their record to 5-11-1-1. Next up Edmonton will be a home and home series against the Tigers starting in Medicine Hat on Wednesday. The return engagement is set for Rexall Place Friday November 14th. It's free toque night. The first 3000 fans will get a free Oil Kings toque.
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