Oil Kings blow lead but put Kootenay on ice in OT
The Edmonton Oil Kings worked longer then they should have against the Kootenay Ice at Rogers Place on Sunday, but considering how their Western Hockey League season has transpired, they ’re not in a position to critique wins.
The Oil Kings gave up the tying goal with 26.5 seconds left in the third period, but scored in overtime to pull out a 4-3 victory against the Ice and snap a fourgame losing skid.
Oil Kings defenceman Wyatt McLeod scored the overtime winner on a set up from forward Trey Fix-Wolansky, 3:37 into the three-on-three session.
“It would have been nice to win it in regulation,” said Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton. “But if you consider the circumstances, where half our team had substantial food poisoning (Saturday) and we weren’t sure who was playing or the quality, and you could tell there wasn’t a lot of life and energy in our room. But the guys were willing to just grind it out.
“That was really good on them and so I was proud of that response. It would have been nice to get the regulation win, but we stuck through it and gave the fans a little extra for their money.”
Conner McDonald, Fix-Wolansky, and Brett Kemp also scored for the Oil Kings, while Josh Dechaine made 36 saves.
Blake Allan, Martin Bodak and Cameron Hausinger scored for Kootenay. Goaltender Duncan McGovern made 25 saves for the Ice.
“This was a big win, I think our team needed that, we kind of slipped up a little bit on our last road trip,” Kemp said. “We just came in here knowing how we are capable of playing and we just wanted to get back to playing that way, even though we had some sick guys and some injuries, we battled hard and we were fortunate enough to get the win.”
McDonald opened the scoring 8:42 into the first period on a rebound after Scott Atkinson took the puck hard to the net and lifted a backhander on goal. Allan tied the game four minutes later with his first goal of the season, having been called up as an affiliate player from the Saskatoon Blazers of the Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League.
Bodak gave the Ice a 2-1 lead four and-a-half minutes into the second, firing a wrist shot over Dechaine’s shoulder.
Fix-Wolansky tied the game with just over eight minutes left in the period on a rebound off a shot from Atkinson.
Kemp then put the Oil Kings ahead 3-2 with 56.3 seconds left in the period, scooping up the puck in the crease off a scramble in front and lifting it over McGovern.
“I thought it was a pretty good game overall,” said Atkinson, who also got into a fight in the contest. “I thought we slipped up a little bit at the end there, but we got it done and that’s all that matters.”