Oil Kings complete second straight series sweep
RED DEER The Edmonton Oil Kings have little interest in playing more games than required in the WHL playoffs.
So far, they have been perfect. The Oil Kings completed their second sweep of the post-season by dispatching the Red Deer Rebels 4-2 at the Peavey Mart Centrium on Wednesday to sweep the best-of-seven series 4-0.
The Oil Kings now move on to the WHL Eastern Conference Final where they'll await the winner of the series between the Winnipeg Ice and Moose Jaw Warriors. Winnipeg took a 3-1 lead in that best-of-seven series with a 5-3 win Wednesday in Moose Jaw.
Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist, while Jalen Luypen and Carter Souch scored the others for the Oil Kings in the victory. Goaltender Sebastian Cossa made 13 saves for his eighth consecutive playoff win.
The Rebels were supposed to push the Oil Kings in the second round having beaten them five of 10 times during the regular season — twice in overtime.
But in reality, they were overmatched by the Oil Kings, who have one of the most talented rosters in the history of major junior hockey, featuring a record five members of Canada's world junior team.
Being at the top of their junior hockey cycle the past three years, but denied the opportunity to compete for a title because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past two, the Oil Kings went all-in this season in search of a WHL championship and trip to the Memorial Cup next month in Saint John, N.B.
Already featuring NHL firstround picks in Guenther (Arizona Coyotes), Jake Neighbours (St.louisblues),andcossa(detroit Red Wings), the Oil Kings acquired defenceman Kaiden Guhle (Montreal Canadiens) in a mid-season trade to load up for a championship run.
They also acquired defenceman Luke Prokop (third round, Nashville Predators) and forward Justin Sourdif (third round, Florida Panthers), adding to its roster of NHL picks that also includes Jakub Demek (fourth round, Vegas Golden Knights) and Luypen (seventh round, Chicago Blackhawks).
Add to that talented forwards Souch, Justin Williams, Jaxsen Wiebe and defenceman Simon Kubicek, the Oil Kings might be too much for anyone in the WHL to handle in a best-of-seven series.
That of course, remains to be seen with the conference final next on the list for the Oil Kings.
The Rebels did extend the Oil Kings to overtime in Game 3 on Monday before Neighbours scored the game winner, but facing elimination in Game 4, were completely overwhelmed in a game where the scored flattered them.
Had it not been for the play of Ungar, the contest would have been well out of reach by the end of the first period.
The Oil Kings needed 23 shots to score one goal in the first, but got two on their first two shots of the second to take a 3-0 lead, 39 seconds into the period.
Edmonton outshot Red Deer 23-6 in the first period, 19-4 in the second and 51-16 overall.
The Oil Kings attacked the Rebels in waves and threatened to score on nearly every shift, which had been the theme of the series and was also the case in the first round against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Luypen gave the Oil Kings a 1-0 lead at 15:51 of the first period, squeezing a shot from the slot through the pads of Ungar, who got the start ahead of rookie Chase Coward in the final two games of the series.
Ungar finished with an impressive 22 saves in the first period, keeping the Rebels in the game after 20 minutes.
Guenther then scored eight seconds into the second period, snapping a shot over Ungar from the right faceoff circle. Souch made it 3-0, converting a centring pass from Guenther 21 seconds later on the Oil Kings' second shot of the period.
The Rebels did pull one back a little more than eight minutes into the second as Jhett Larson was able to jump on a puck at the Oil Kings blue line bobbled by defenceman Ethan Peters. Larson took it back the other way and snapped a shot over the shoulder of Cossa.
Any thoughts of a comeback, however, were quickly dispelled as the Oil Kings pinned the Rebels in their own end for the remainder of the period. The Oil Kings squandered a handful of chances, including a 2-on-0 breakaway where Wiebe kept the puck and wired a shot just wide.
Guenther, however, restored the three-goal lead on the power play with under 90 seconds to play in the period, one-timing a shot past Ungar on a feed from Guhle.
In the third, the Rebels got another as Blake Gustafson scored on a short-handed breakaway, lifting a backhand over Cossa. It was as close as the Rebels would get, however, as the Oil Kings were able to close out the contest.