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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

ECC SERIES Preview: Edmonton Oil Kings vs. Winnipeg ICE

May 17, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


The Edmonton Oil Kings and Winnipeg ICE will meet in the third round of the Western Hockey League Playoffs following their Round 2 wins over the Red Deer Rebels and Moose Jaw Warriors, respectively.

When the two teams drop the puck on their Eastern Conference Championship Series on Friday night at the Wayne Fleming Arena, it will mark the first time since 2013 the two franchises have met in the playoffs.

The Oil Kings finished the season with a 50-14-3-1 record, capturing a fourth consecutive Central Division title and securing the second seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The ICE finished the season with the best record in the entire WHL after going 53-10-3-2.

SERIES SCHEDULE

Game Visitor Home Date Time

1 Edmonton @ Winnipeg Friday, May 20 6:00PM

2 Edmonton @ Winnipeg Saturday, May 21 6:00PM

3 Winnipeg @ Edmonton Monday, May 23 7:00PM

4 Winnipeg @ Edmonton Wednesday, May 25 7:00PM

5* Winnipeg @ Edmonton Friday, May 27 7:00PM

6* Edmonton @ Winnipeg Sunday, May 29 4:00PM

7* Edmonton @ Winnipeg Tuesday, May 31 6:00PM

*If necessary

All times MST.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Edmonton Oil Kings

The Oil Kings enter the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series after sweeping the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Round 1 and the Red Deer Rebels in Round 2.

The Oil Kings have been led offensively by Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther who has scored at least one goal in each game of the 2022 WHL Playoffs. In eight games, he has 12 points (9G, 3A), four penalty minutes and a +8 plus/minus rating.

Supplementing Guenther has been veteran Carter Souch who sits second on the team in goals (5) and points (9) having etched his name on the scoresheet in six of the eight games so far, this post-season.

The Oil Kings have also seen excellent production from their backend as the pairing of Kaiden Guhle, a Montreal Canadiens prospect, and Luke Prokop, a Nashville Predators prospects, have combined for five goals, 17 points and a +18 plus/minus rating.

Between the pipes, Sebastian Cossa has been in the Oil Kings crease for all 487 minutes of the playoffs having posted a perfect 8-0 record to go along with a 1.48gaa, .932sv% and three shutouts. He ranks first amongst all WHL goaltenders (minimum 20 minutes played) this post-season in both goals-against average and shutouts, while also contributing two assists.

While those have been the statistical top performers for the Oil Kings in the playoffs, perhaps the biggest reason for the club so far facing the minimum after two rounds has been the depth of the club. Through just eight games, 14 different players have registered at least one goal, 10 have notched at least two goals and 17 different players have at least one point.

The Oil Kings specialty teams have continued to roll along nicely through two rounds having scored at least one power play goal in every game (9-for-35, 25.7%), while also giving up just three goals while shorthanded themselves on 30 opportunities (90.0%). They've actually scored more goals while shorthanded (4) then they've given up.

Through 487 minutes and 17 seconds of playoff hockey this spring, the Oil Kings have only trailed for 11:51 of it.

Dating back to the regular season, the Oil Kings have won 12 straight games.

Winnipeg ICE

The ICE enter the WHL Eastern Conference Championship Series after dispatching both the Prince Albert Raiders and Moose Jaw Warriors in five games in the opening two rounds.

After leading the regular season in goals scored (317), the ICE have continued that into the post-season having scored 53 times in just 10 games.

Seven different ICE skaters have tallied double-digit points, led by the recently turned 17-year-old forward Zachary Benson who currently sits fourth in post-season scoring with 18 points (8G, 10A). Rounding out their top-5 scorers is a quartet of veterans in Mikey Milne (9G, 6A), Philadelphia Flyers prospect Connor McClennon (6G, 8A), Owen Pederson (5G, 9A) and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Jack Finley (6G, 5A).

On defence, Benjamin Zloty leads all WHL defenceman in assists with 11, while Minnesota Wild prospect Carson Lambos has nabbed eight points in 10 games.

Between the pipes, Daniel Hauser has started all 10 games for the ICE going 8-2 with a 1.81gaa, .922sv% and one shutout. During the regular season, he led the WHL in shutouts with eight, had the lowest goals-against average at 2.00 and was tied with Dylan Garand for the most wins at 34.

Just like the regular season, the ICE have had the best power play so far in the playoffs scoring 14 times on 41 chances (34.2%). Their penalty kill has been just as sharp giving up only three goals on 29 chances against (89.7%). Like the Oil Kings, they to have scored more goals while shorthanded (4) than they've given up.

Dating back to the regular season, the ICE have won 18 straight games at the Wayne Fleming Arena.

REGULAR SEASON TALE-OF-THE-TAPE

50-14-3-1 - 104pts Record 53-10-3-2 - 111pts

295 (3rd) GF 317 (1st)

182 (4th) GA 152 (1st)

64-for-292 - 21.9% (10th) PP 74-for-270 - 27.4% (1st)

51-for-324 - 84.3% (1st) PK 37-for-222 - 83.3% (3rd)

15 SHG 4

7 SHGA 3

29-4-1-0 Home Record 29-3-1-1

36-for-158 - 22.8% (11th) Home PP 46-for-152 - 30.3% (3rd)

29-for-158 - 81.7% (4th) Home PK 20-for-122 - 83.6% (2nd)

21-10-2-1 Away Record 24-7-2-1

28-for-134 - 20.9% (11th) Away PP 28-for-118 - 23.7% (6th)

22-for-166 - 86.7% (1st) Away PK 17-for-100 - 83.0% (5th)

Dylan Guenther (45-46-91) Leading Scorer Matthew Savoie (35-55-90)

Josh Williams (34-48-82) Second Leading Scorer Connor McClennon (43-38-81)

Carter Souch (22-49-71) Third Leading Scorer Mikey Milne (38-43-81)

Jakub Demek (20-34-54) Top Rookie Zachary Benson (25-38-63)

Sebastian Cossa

33-9-2-1 2.28gaa .913sv% 6SO Top Goaltender Daniel Hauser

34-3-1-0 2.00gaa .914sv% 8SO

SEASON SERIES

The season series between the Oil Kings and ICE saw Edmonton grab wins in three out of the four meetings between the two clubs, but all three were tightly contested, taking away empty-net goals, all three wins were by two goals or less.

Edmonton Oil Kings: 3-1-0-0

Power Play - 5/12 (41.7%)

Penalty Kill - 3/16 (81.3%)

Shots For - 126

Shots Against - 106

Faceoffs - 134/248 (54.0%)

Winnipeg ICE: 1-3-0-0

Power Play - 3/16 (18.8%)

Penalty Kill - 5/12 (58.3%)

Shots For - 106

Shots Against - 126

Faceoffs - 114/248 (46.0%)

EDM Top Scorers:

Carter Souch - 4gp, 1g-4a-5pts

Josh Williams - 4gp, 4g-0a-4pts

Dylan Guenther - 3gp, 1g-2a-3pts

EDM Top Goaltender:

Sebastian Cossa, 3-0-0-0, 2.00gaa, .924sv%, 0SO

WPG Top Scorers:

Matthew Savoie - 4gp, 3g-1a-4pts

Connor McClennon - 4gp, 1g-3a-4pts

Conor Geekie - 4gp, 1g-3a-4pts

WPG Top Goaltender:

Gage Alexander 1-2-0-0-0, 2.36gaa, .922sv%, 0SO

October 29 - ICE 1 @ Oil Kings 3:

The Oil Kings became the first team this season to defeat the ICE after they had started the season on an 11-game win streak. The Oil Kings found themselves trailing for much of the game after an early power play goal from Connor McClennon was the only offence until Dylan Guenther scored 3:28 into the third to tie it before former Oil King Carson Latimer scored the eventual game-winning goal with 8:18 left in the game.

Shots - 27-24 WPG

Faceoffs - 34-17 ED

Power Plays - EDM 0/1 WPG 1/1

December 8 - Oil Kings 3 @ ICE 2:

In the Oil Kings first visit to the Manitoba Capital this year, they used their specialty teams to grab another win over the ICE. The Oil Kings got goals from Simon Kubicek, Josh Williams and the winner from Kaiden Guhle, with just under seven minutes left in regulation, all on the man-advantage. The Oil Kings were also able to hold the ICE's always dangerous power play off the board on four chances. Jake Neighbours had a pair of assists in the win.

Shots - 37-27 EDM

Faceoffs - 32-32

Power Plays - EDM 3/4 WPG 0/4

December 11 - Oil Kings 2 @ ICE 5:

The ICE picked up their first win over the Oil Kings since moving to Winnipeg from Cranbrook in 2019 thanks to four unanswered goals starting late in the second period. After Josh Williams and Chase Friedt-Mohr got Edmonton out to a 2-1 lead in the second period, Benjamin Zloty scored the equalizer just two minutes prior to the second intermission. In the third period, the ICE scored three times in the final 3:59 with a pair of goals from Matthew Savoie and a single from Mikey Milne to pull away with the win.

Shots - 30-27 EDM

Faceoffs - 38-30 WPG

Power Plays - EDM 0/3 WPG 0/6

February 21 - ICE 3 @ Oil Kings 6:

In the final meeting of the season between the two clubs, it would be the ICE getting off to a hot start getting goals from Carson Lambos and Matthew Savoie in the opening 11:26 to stake the visitors to an early 2-0 advantage. Late in the first period though, Justin Sourdif would get the Oil Kings on the comeback trail with a power play goal before a four-goal burst in a span of 8:30 in the second period put the game away; Josh Williams scored twice, Sourdif added another and Carter Souch tallied on a breakaway.

Shots - 35-25 EDM

Faceoffs - 38-27 EDM

Power Plays - EDM 2/4 WPG 2/5

Edmonton Oil Kings Playoff Passes are on-sale now. For only $129/seat, you get access to every Oil Kings home playoff game. The more we play, the less you pay! To purchase, click here.

The Oil Kings next home game is Monday, May 23 against the Winnipeg ICE for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Championship Series.

Join the conversation on social media by using #ChaseTheCrown for all your social media posts during the Oil Kings 2022 post-season run!

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