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Edmonton Oil Kings

Another Comeback Falls Just Short - Edmonton Falls 4 - 3 To Red Deer In Overtime

September 27, 2008 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Red Deer, AB - Relying on comebacks for victories is not the greatest strategy. However, coming up with one on the road to earn a point in overtime is not such a bad thing either. The Edmonton Oil Kings rallied from a 2 goal deficit with a pair of goals in the third period to squeak into overtime only to fall victim to a powerplay goal as the Rebels salvaged a 4 - 3 win in Red Deer. The victory for the Rebels also split the home and home series between the two clubs this weekend.

Neither team showed signs of fatigue after playing extra time the night before. A day after the Oil Kings recorded a franchise record 55 shots on goal, they picked up where they left off firing 14 shots in the opening frame of Saturday night's contest but were unable to solve Rebels netminder Morgan Clark. Dalyn Flette was sharp at the other end for Edmonton considering he was making his 5th consecutive start. He made 11 saves in the opening 20 minutes as the teams headed to the first break with no goals up on the board.

Red Deer opened the scoring just :37 seconds into the middle frame. Cass Mappin finished off a nice 2 on 1 and beat Dalyn Flette low to the blocker side after a nice feed from Tomas Polak. Mappin's second of the year gave the home team the early edge.

The Oil Kings can finally shake the dubious distinction of being the only team in the WHL yet to score a powerplay goal. They broke out of their funk on their 22nd attempt of the year. Tomas Vincour knocked in first of the year after a nice cross-crease pass from line mate Jeff Lee. Brent Raedeke also picked up an assist on the 5 on 3 powerplay. That tied the game at one.

The Rebels replied with a powerplay of their own. 19-year old Cody Gross was working the back end of the Rebels powerplay unit and he was able to step into a point shot that founds it's way through a maze of players in front of Dalyn Flette. It was 2 - 1 after two periods.

Red Deer would add to that lead just over 6 minutes into the third. Tyler Penny took over after an Oil Kings turnover and took a shot from a bad angle that made its way past a couple of back-checkers and deflected high in a hurry beating Flette on the short side. That made it 3 - 1 but the Oil Kings will never give up.

About midway through the third period, the Rebels turned the puck over in their own zone. Oil Kings leading scorer Brenden Dowd made a quick pass over to Clayton Cumiskey who was driving hard to the net. The Abbotsford, BC native snapped a quick shot home for his first of the year. It was 3 - 2 with lots of time left.

Edmonton pulled their goalie for the extra attacker and tied it in the dying seconds. Rookie Mark Pysyk started the play by keeping the puck alive in the offensive zone. Brett Breitkreuz took the first crack at the loose puck in the slot and Brenden Dowd managed to jam home a rebound for the equalizer. The co-captain for the Oil Kings is off to a fabulous start with a 4 game point streak and he already has 4 goals and 4 assists in his first 5 games.

The turning point in the game came in the dying seconds of regulation. Edmonton didn't want anything to do with overtime and were pressing hard for the winner before the final buzzer. They were a little too enthusiastic when Brent Raedeke came flying through the slot and tripped up a Rebel defender. The Oil Kings would have to start overtime shorthanded and killing off a 4 on 3 powerplay is always tough.

It took Red Deer :51 seconds of extra time to seal the deal. Willie Coetzee tried to set up Brennen Wray for a backdoor play. He was stopped. Flette tried to pokecheck the rebound but Landon Ferarro pounced on the loose puck and tucked in the game winning goal off the cross-bar and in.

The Rebels have picked up 4 of a possible 6 points in overtimes and shootouts this season. That was the first game this season decided in overtime this year for the Oil Kings.

Edmonton's record stands at 2 - 2 - 1 - 0 and their hectic schedule wraps up Sunday night in Cranbrook. Their game against the Ice will be their 4th game in 5 nights. The next home game for the Oil Kings is Friday October 3rd. It's Mullet Night! The first 2500 fans at Rexall Place will receive a free mullet when they come to the game. Don't be late.

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Western Hockey League Stories from September 27, 2008


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