WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Oil Kings Edge Rockets in Shootout

Published on February 8, 2014 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Edmonton, AB - After three games this season, it's clear: there's almost nothing separating the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Kelowna Rockets.

The two WHL conference leaders went toe-to-toe Friday night in Kelowna with the Oil Kings (39-13-0-1) emerging with a 3-2 shootout victory for their 10th straight win. The win gives the Oil Kings a 2-1-0-0 record in the season series against the WHL-leading Rockets (43-7-0-4), with the only edge being Mitch Moroz's shootout winner.

"We really don't play them enough to know (how close the two teams are), but they're a very good hockey club and they play in a very tough conference," said Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal.

"I think it's just a hard fought win for the guys. To come in here and play with the top team in Canada and beat them is a good confidence boost. It was a real emotional, a real hard-fought game."

Moroz scored the only goal of the shootout while Tristan Jarry made three big stops to add to the 26 he made in the game to pick up his 34th win of the season.

The game was everything expected of a matchup between the top two teams in the league: entertaining, intense and hotly contested.

"It was very intense the chatter on the bench, the energy on the bench was good and you could tell before the game the guys were ready to play," Laxdal said. "It was a great, entertaining game to watch."

The result could have hedged the other way as Ryan Olsen broke in alone on Jarry with 4.6 seconds left in overtime. His breakaway chance was stopped by Jarry's pad but bounced off his own skate and back between Jarry's legs where it disappeared before slipping out the side of the goal as the net was knocked off. After a lengthy review, the original no-goal call was upheld and the Oil Kings were able to live on to win in overtime.

"It was just a great save by Jarrs," Laxdal said. "From what I saw he just kicked it out. I never saw it go over the line."

Cole Benson and Brett Pollock scored for Edmonton in a chippy, back-and-forth game that saw both teams go 1-6 on the power play and take eight penalties. Myles Bell and Carter Rigby had the goals for Kelowna.

Jordon Cooke made 25 saves for the Rockets, who outshot Edmonton 28-27.

The Oil Kings will be back in action Saturday night when they round out this West Coast road trip with a stop in Vancouver to face the Giants.

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Western Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2014


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