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WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Oil Kings Fall Short to Kamloops in Defensive Battle

January 17, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Playing their third game in as many nights, and fourth game in five nights, the Edmonton Oil Kings played a hard-fought defensive battle but came up short losing 2-1 versus the Kamloops Blazers Sunday night.

Payton Lee, who stopped 38 of 41 shots last night against the Calgary Hitmen, was brilliant again for the Oil Kings. The Cranbrook, BC native stopped 26 of 28 shots in the loss, including two huge pad saves in the second off of Collin Shirley and Matthew Campese, and a big stick save late in the third on a 2-on-1.

"From a competitive level, effort standpoint, I was really, really pleased with our guys tonight, said Head Coach Steve Hamilton. "The fact that we were able to have probably our best period in the third - with the end of a lot of hockey in a short period of time - I thought that was a real telling tale about our group."

Kamloops would open the scoring 13:58 into the first when Campese fired home a rebound off a Jermaine Loewen shot on a delayed penalty call. Just over two minutes later Kole Gable swung the momentum back in Edmonton's favour when he snapped a laser-like shot from a near impossible angle over Connor Ingram's shoulder and just under the bar for his 3rd of the season. Tyler Robertson and Ben Carroll collected the assists.

The second period saw no scoring and just one powerplay each as the teams continued their tight checking not willing to give an inch up.

Both goalies stood tall in the third trading saves until Shirley scored the game-winner on a wraparound with just over three minutes left. Moments earlier, Jesse Roach stepped up laying out Shirley at the blue line and then tipping a shot that nearly found its way past Ingram, but Shirley and the Blazers kept pressing to eventually get the win.

Edmonton outshot Kamloops 35-28 and despite the considerable amount of hockey they played this weekend, battled right until the buzzer.

"It was a disappointing loss because I really felt like those guys put their best foot forward tonight," said Hamilton.

The Oil Kings will play their fifth game in seven nights when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors Tuesday at 7pm at Rexall Place.

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Western Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2016


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