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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Oil Kings Drop Third Straight to Medicine Hat

December 16, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


The Edmonton Oil Kings hit the ice at Rexall Place to wrap up a three-game set against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Tuesday night as the two teams tangled for the third time in four nights. With the Tigers besting the Oil Kings in the first two meetings, the home side was looking for revenge but was unable to capitalize as the Tigers went on to win 2-1 and defeat the Oil Kings in three straight.

Medicine Hat (10-18-2-1) would be the first to strike in the opening frame on a power play marker from Matthew Bradley to jump to the 1-0 lead. But the Oil Kings (13-18-3-0) responded quickly when winger Jesse Roach scored his first-ever goal as an Oil King to knot things up in the dying seconds of the 1st.

The middle frame saw no scoring, but did have a fair amount of the rough stuff as Edmonton's Tyson Gruninger and Medicine Hat's Bradley dropped the mitts for a short-lived scrap before both receiving game misconducts to go with their fighting majors. The

The 3rd period was not unlike the 2nd in its lack of offence, with the game staying knotted at one a piece until the dying minutes of regulation. The Oil Kings looked like they'd have a shot to pull ahead when Chad Butcher of the Tigers took an interference penalty with just under four minutes remaining. While the home side got some looks on the power play, Nick Schneider shut the door for the Tigers. It was moments after the penalty was killed that Mark Rassel got loose on the breakaway to bury the game-winning goal for Medicine Hat with under two minutes remaining in regulation.

The Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton echoed a familiar sentiment about his team's recent strong starts, but lack of finish.

"It was the same result, kind of a mirror-image 2nd period very similar to last game," said Hamilton. "We had a decent 1st period, but we shortened the rink in the 2nd. We chipped it out, they transitioned and re-attacked... It was like watching a movie over and over again."

Despite the result, Oil Kings goaltender Patrick Dea gave his team a chance, turning aside 30 of 32 shots faced, while Schneider stopped 25 of 26 to earn the win for the Tigers as well as 1st star honours.

The Oil Kings continue their current home stand and will look to straighten things out when the Lethbridge Hurricanes (21-11-0-0) come to town on Friday, December 18th. Puck drop is 7pm MT.

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