Oil Kings Use Big Third Period to Defeat Hitmen
Published on December 16, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release
Calgary, AB - The Edmonton Oil Kings (19-6-2-1) scored four unanswered goals on Wednesday night as they snapped their mini two-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen (11-10-2-2) at the Saddledome.
The Oil Kings wasted no time opening the scoring as Dawson Seitz provided the icebreaker just 1:53 into the first period after he jumped on a turned over puck in the neutral zone, sped in on a breakaway and ripped a shot over the left-arm of Hitmen netminder Brayden Peters for his second goal in his last three games and fourth of the season.
The Hitmen, in turn, wasted no time themselves in equalizing the score as just 15 seconds later Billal Noori was left open on the door-step of the Oil Kings net and hoisted in the tying goal.
The score remained tied at one through the majority of the first period, but with just over a minute left in the opening 20 minutes, Anton Astashevich re-directed home a point-shot from Carter Yakemchuk to give the Hitmen a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.
In the second period, the Oil Kings had three early scoring chances but Jaxsen Wiebe, Jalen Luypen and Brendan Kuny were all turned aside by Peters.
With the Oil Kings guilty of a double-minor with just over four minutes left in the middle stanza, it looked as though the best they could hope for was to carry their one goal deficit into the third period, until Josh Williams and Jakub Demek were able to combine for a shorthanded marker. After the Hitmen turned the puck over at the Edmonton blueline, Williams and Demek raced into the Calgary zone on an odd-man rush where Williams feathered a perfect pass to the middle of the ice that Demek tipped between the legs of Peters to send the teams to the intermission tied 2-2.
The Oil Kings started the third period on the power play and had appeared to take a 3-2 lead after Carter Souch and Jalen Luypen combined to knock the puck across the Hitmen goal line during a goal mouth scramble, but the goal was waved off due to incidental goaltender interference.
The Oil Kings were undeterred by the disallowed goal as Jacob Boucher would score a short time later as he walked around a Hitmen defender a zipped a wrist shot under the bar to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead 4:26 into the third.
Just over six minutes later, the Oil Kings extended their lead with a power play marker with Demek stuffing home a loose puck at the side of the Calgary net for his second of the night.
For good measure, the Oil Kings added one more before the game was out at 15:17 of the frame with Simon Kubicek bombing in a point-shot from the left side of the Hitmen zone to give Edmonton the 5-2 victory.
Kolby Hay made 21 saves for his fifth of the season, while Peters stopped 30 of the 35 Edmonton shots. The Oil Kings went one-for-five on the power play, the Hitmen were zero-for-six.
Next up, the Oil Kings return to home ice on Friday night when they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to Rogers Place at 7:00 PM.
NOTES:
The Oil Kings are now 18-3-3-0 against the Hitmen over the last four seasons.
Jakub Demek is now on a 17-game point streak (11G, 16A).
The Oil Kings played tonight's game missing six regulars from their lineup; F Jake Neighbours (World Junior Championship), F Dylan Guenther (World Junior Championship), F Tyler Horstmann (injured), D Kaiden Guhle (World Junior Championship), D Luke Prokop and G Sebastian Cossa (World Junior Championship).
Jaxsen Wiebe, Ethan Peters and Carson Golder all returned to the Oil Kings lineup tonight after missing time with injury.
Edmonton Oil Kings Season Seats, Flex-Packs, Weekend Passes and Single-Game tickets, for as low as $20 per game, are currently on sale at oilkings.ca.
The Oil Kings next home game is Friday, December 17 when they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to Rogers Place at 7:00 PM.
Western Hockey League Stories from December 16, 2021
- Broncos Sign Clarke Caswell, Josh Fluker to Standard Player Agreements - Swift Current Broncos
- Hitmen Sign Forward Chase Valliant - Calgary Hitmen
- Blazers Sign Second Round Pick Ashton Tait - Kamloops Blazers
- Resurgent Rebels in Good Shape as Christmas Break Approaches - Red Deer Rebels
- Defenseman Prospect Nathan Mayes Signs WHL Agreement - Spokane Chiefs
- Rebels' Second-Round Pick Wutzke Signs WHL Standard Player Agreement - Red Deer Rebels
- Chiefs to Present Promotion Winner with $1,000 Shopping Spree - Spokane Chiefs
- Wheat Kings Sign 4th Overall Pick, Roger McQueen - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Pats Featured on 2021-22 TSN & RDS Regular Season Broadcast Schedule - Regina Pats
- Broncos Fall to Rebels in Red Deer - Swift Current Broncos
- Ziemmer Leads Cougars over Giants - Prince George Cougars
- Josephson Impressive in Rebels' Big Win over Broncos - Red Deer Rebels
- Ziemmer's Six-Point Game Sinks the Vancouver Giants 7-3 - Vancouver Giants
- Royals End Ten Game Point Streak in Loss to Blazers - Victoria Royals
- Hauser, ICE Shutout Saskatoon - Winnipeg Ice
- Oil Kings Put Brakes on Hitmen Streak - Calgary Hitmen
- Pederson Scores a Pair as ICE Top Blades - Saskatoon Blades
- Oil Kings Use Big Third Period to Defeat Hitmen - Edmonton Oil Kings
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