Oil Kings trying for first WHL crown since 2014
The stage was set for the Edmonton Oil Kings to claim the Western Hockey League championship at Rogers Place on Saturday.
There was only one problem: the Seattle Thunderbirds were not going to roll over and die.
Despite a 3-1 series deficit heading into the game, and playing in front of a hostile crowd of over 11,000, the Thunderbirds were able to spoil the party with a 3-2 win, setting up Game 6 at Rogers Place (7:30 p.m., TSN) on Monday.
“I feel like we really rise to the challenge. You can't kill us, like we've said many times,” said Thunderbirds forward Matthew Rempe. “In our mindset, we're just warriors and everyone on our team, we love to go to battle and when the odds are against us, that's when we play our best.”
The Thunderbirds are 6-0 facing elimination this playoff season. They trailed their second-round series against the Portland Winterhawks 3-1 before battling back to win, pulling out a pair of victories on the road.
The Thunderbirds were also down 3-2 against the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference final and won the final two games of the series, including Game 7 on the road.
This time around, the Thunderbirds need to win three games on the road as the series will stay in Edmonton due to scheduling conflicts with the Showare Center in Kent, Wash.
“A big theme for us this year has been resiliency,” said Thunderbirds goaltender Thomas Milic. “So whatever happens one night, we're ready to battle the next night.”
The Thunderbirds fell behind 3-1 in the series after losing Game 4 at home, where Oil Kings defenceman Logan Dowhaniuk scored the winning goal with 4.7 seconds left in the third period.
To many observers, that appeared to have been the kill shot on the Thunderbirds, but they bounced back and put forth their best effort of the series in Game 5. If necessary, Game 7 will be at Rogers Place on Tuesday.
“That was a pretty difficult night,” Milic said. “We took a few minutes to process it, but then we were able to refocus and get ready for the next challenge.”
The Thunderbirds have been able to overcome a lot of adversity this season, which is what makes them so resilient according to head coach Matt O'dette. Playing the last three games of the series in Edmonton, two of them without their suspended captain Tyrel Bauer, is just another hurdle to overcome.
For their part, the Oil Kings are looking forward to another crack at clinching a championship. They were hoping to close it out Saturday and nearly tied the game in the third period with a dominant final 10 minutes, but came up just short.
The Oil Kings are trying to win their first WHL championship since 2014, when they also went on to win the Memorial Cup. The Thunderbirds last won the WHL title in 2017. Either way, the Ed Chynoweth Cup will be lifted on Monday or Tuesday at Rogers Place with the winner advancing to the Memorial Cup in Saint John, N.B., from June 20 to 29.
“The guys came in and kind of dipped their toes in the water in that last game,” said Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer. “They didn't get in it until the third period. I think we know what to expect the next game, and I think our guys will be ready to go.”