Preview: Oil Kings at Calgary Hitmen 2.28.24
February 28, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release
EDMONTON OIL KINGS (21-33-2-1) vs. CALGARY HITMEN (23-26-7-1) -
FEBRUARY 28, 2024 - SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME - 11:00 AM
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2023-24 Schedule vs. Calgary Hitmen
Friday, Nov 10 @ Calgary (6-1 CGY)
Saturday, Nov 11 @ Edmonton (10-2 CGY)
Saturday, Nov 25 @ Calgary (7-3 CGY)
Sunday, Jan 7 @ Calgary (5-1 CGY)
Friday, Feb 2 @ Edmonton (6-5 OT CGY)
Sunday, Feb 4 @ Calgary (8-1 CGY)
Wed., Feb 21 @ Edmonton (5-4 EDM)
Wednesday, Feb 28 @ Calgary
Friday, March 15 @ Edmonton
Matchup Notes
Today's contest is the "Hockey Hooky game", the second of two 11 am MT starts between the 2 clubs in the last seven days. It marks the 8th of 9 meetings in the regular season between the 2 clubs. Calgary has won 6 of the previous 7 meetings.
Gavin Hodnett leads all Oil Kings in scoring during the season series with eight points (3G, 5A) in seven games, while Oliver Tulk is the top scorer for the Hitmen with fifteen points (6G, 9A) in seven games. All-time, the Oil Kings and
Hitmen have met 112 times in the regular season with the Oil Kings holding a record of 54-48-9-1.
Coming In
The Oil Kings have won 3 games in a row and are looking to win their season high 4th consecutively. They have also won 5 of their last 6 games, and sit 12 points back of the 8th place Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Edmonton is coming off of a 5-2 home ice victory at Rogers Place, in their first ever meeting with the newly relocated Wenatchee Wild. For the second straight game, the Oil Kings took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission after a pair of goals from Gavin Hodnett (16) and Marshall Finnie (19).
The two teams traded goals off of strange bounces in the middle frame, shots were 22-16 through 40 minutes of play.
Wild leading scorer Kenta Isogai drew Wenatchee within one, a mere :24 seconds into period three for his 27th of the year. Oil Kings Forward Smyth Rebman added the insurance goal late in the third, streaking in and letting a low wrister go that found its way through the legs of Wild Goalie Brendan Gee to make it 4-2. Former Winnipeg Ice (Wenathee's prior location) Forward Ty Nash iced it into the empty net with :54 seconds left.
Edmonton has four home games remaining in the 2023/24 regular season.
EOK Notables
 Oil Kings Forward Marshall Finnie is coming off of a career high 4-point game in the Western Hockey League on Sunday (1G 3A) .
 Oil Kings Defenseman Rhys Pederson is coming off of a career high +/- game in the Western Hockey League of plus 4 on Sunday.
 Oil Kings Forward Roan Woodward is coming off of a career high +/- game in the Western Hockey League of plus 4 on Sunday.
 The Edmonton line of Smyth Rebman, Marshall Finnie and Roan Woodward combined for +/- plus eleven on Sunday.
 Oil Kings defenceman Marc Lajoie sits 13th in defenceman points (44), 2nd in defenceman goals (19), 1st in defenceman PP goals (11) and tied for 7th in defenceman PP points (23) in the WHL. His 11 power play goals rank tied for 6th overall in the entire WHL amongst all skaters.
 Oil Kings defenceman Marc Lajoie is in for 5th for the most career power play goals by an Oil Kings defenceman in franchise history with 11 trailing only Griffin Reinhart (12), Cody Corbett (12), Aaron Irving (13) and Conner McDonald (14).
 Oil Kings defenseman Marc Lajoie is currently tied with Conner McDonald for the all-time total for goals in a single season by a rear guard (19).
 The Oil Kings lead the WHL in attendance (6,351 avg.).
CGY Notables
 Hitmen Defenseman Carter Yakemchuk leads all Western Hockey League D-men in goals (26), in shots (237) and in PIM (105).
 Calgary Forward Ben Kindel sits 3rd in the Western Hockey League in rookie scoring with 15 goals and 52 points in 57 games played.
Milestone Watch
 F Ty Nash is 5 games away from 250 career WHL games.
 F Ty Nash is 12 assists away from 100 career WHL assists.
 D Marc Lajoie is 8 assists away from 100 career WHL assists.
 F Skyler Bruce is 3 goals away from 50 career WHL goals.
Lineup Report
 D Ethan MacKenzie, upper-body, week-to-week (Games missed: 38).
 F Presley Kerner, lower-body, week-to-week (Games missed: 7)
 F John Szabo, upper-body, day-to-day (Games missed 6)
 F Skyler Bruce, lower-body, day-to-day (Games missed: 6)
 F Andrej Tomasec, day-to-day (Games missed: 3)
Streaks
 F Ty Nash is on a 5-game point streak (3g-6a-9pts).
Who's Hot
 F Marshall Finnie has 9 points (4G, 5A) in his last 6 games.
 F Ty Nash has 18 points (5G, 13A) in his last 17 games.
 F Smyth Rebman has 4 points (3G, 3A) in his last 6 games.
 F Gracyn Sawchyn has 14 points (4G, 10A) in his last 14 games.
 F Gavin Hodnett has 11 points (3G, 8A) in his last 9 games.
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