WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Oil Kings Grab 2-0 Series Lead

Published on April 8, 2012 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Edmonton, AB. -- The Edmonton Oil Kings continued their winning ways Saturday night with a 4-3 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings in game two of their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference Semi-Final.

The Oil Kings, who have now won seventeen straight games, including six in this year's playoffs, lead the best of seven series two games to nothing with the series now shifting to Brandon's Westman Place for games three and four this week.

Trailing 1-0 through one period of play and after trading goals with Brandon in the second, the Oil Kings erupted for three goals in a span of 2:27 to take a 4-2 lead and then hung on for their second one goal victory in as many nights.

Kristians Pelss led the winners with two goals, with singles coming off the sticks of Jordan Peddle and Travis Ewanyk.

Alessio Bertaggia, Michael Ferland and Ryan Pulock replied for the Wheat Kings, who were outshot 35- 29 and went 0-3 with the man advantage. Brandon's powerplay is now 0-5 through the first two games of this series and 2-22 in seven playoff games this spring.

"Our players need to move more. We have to have more movement out of our players, not just the puck moving, we need to get the guys moving a bit more," Brandon assistant coach Darren Ritchie told CKLQ's Bruce Luebke following the game. "I thought we had a couple of good looks in the third period. I thought we had some opportunities but not the full, sustained pressure you would like when you have a power-play at a key point in the game."

Games three and four of the best of seven series will be played Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Westman Place, with game five (if necessary) scheduled for Friday night back in Edmonton.

Due to Easter Sunday, the Keystone Centre box office is not open on Sunday but will reopen first thing Monday morning. As of Saturday afternoon, less than 2,400 tickets had been sold for Tuesday's game, which will be the first game for the Wheat Kings at Westman Place since March 17th.

Because of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the Wheat Kings played all three of their first round playoff home games at MTS Centre in Winnipeg.

Tickets for this week's playoff games against the Oil Kings can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca, by calling 726-3555 or by visiting the Keystone box office on Monday.

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2012


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