Hitmen fall hard in final pre-break game
The Calgary Hitmen are set to part ways today for various destinations across Western Canada like Abbotsford, Vernon, Fairview, and Winnipeg.
But, judging by Tuesday’s efforts, their Christmas break began against the Edmonton Oil Kings by way of a 4-1 loss before 7,763 patrons at the Scotiabank Saddledome. And the lack of effort by the home team was odd considering there had been plenty to play for.
Not only was it both teams’ last games before the holidays, the Hitmen were testing their shaky home record (11-6-1-2 heading into Tuesday’s game). It was also the final Battle of Alberta of the 2012-13 Western Hockey League season — an exciting series which Calgary had owned 4-1 until Tuesday’s game. Also, not to forget, the Eastern Conference lead was up for grabs. But after the generous Hitmen surrendered two short-handed goals and a power-play marker, they gave the Oil Kings (23-7-2-3) an early Christmas present.
Edmonton, with 51 points, moved ahead of Calgary (23-81-3) to climb atop the heap.
“We had their number, for the most part, all year,” said Hitmen defenceman Jaynen Rissling. “We were 4-0, but the last two home games (including a 4-2 Dome loss on Dec. 8), we sort of let off the pedal. Especially being at home, we had to establish ourselves but we didn’t do a good job of that.”
Calgary did open the scoring late in the first period, on a shot from Sherwood Park native Greg Chase, who lobbed one through the legs of Oil Kings goalie Laurent Brossoit. But the cushion didn’t last long. Edmonton’s spree started early in the second with Henrik Samuelsson’s first short-handed marker — a slick one-timer after a little back-and-forth action with Oil Kings star sniper Curtis Lazar. Then, while Brooks Macek sat off for tripping, Edmonton defenceman Cody Corbett, on a hard shot from the point, banked one in with the help of Mitch Moroz in front of Hitmen goalie Chris Driedger.
Samuelsson scored another short-handed marker before the period was over, making a heads-up play to intercept a pass on the points between Calgary’s Macek and Rissling in the Oil Kings’ zone.
Samuelsson zipped up the ice and connected to make it 3-1.
“He basically got a clear-cut breakaway,” said Rissling, owning up to the gaffe. “That was my bad. I didn’t look around when that pass was coming. I didn’t know he was coming and didn’t know I had no time.
“A couple seconds later, it’s in our net. Pretty deflating. Took the wind out of our sales a little bit.”
After Lazar iced the win late in the third period — on another powerplay — it was game over. Disappointing, to say the least. “Yeah, it is,” said Hitmen head coach Mike Williamson, whose troops return for a skate on Boxing Day and prepare to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Dec. 28. “It was a game for first place and, obviously, they were excited.
“That’s how we were approaching it. But (Edmonton) is a good hockey team. You’re not going to beat them every night and you’re not going to beat them without a good solid effort from your whole lineup. We didn’t have that (Tuesday).”
But, of course, there’s the bigger picture. Rissling pointed out the silver lining — the team’s sparkling play after 35 games this season.
“(Tuesday) was disappointing, but we’re top-two in the conference,” said the Washington Capitals 2012 draft pick. “It’s one thing to look at this game and knowing we could have done things better. But it’s also sort of rewarding to look at the standings and see where we are and see that we’ve done a great job so far in the first half and continue into the second half.”
ICE CHIPS ... Calgary scratched C Chase Clayton, LW Calder Brooks (shoulder), C Victor Rask (Swedish world junior team) ... It was only the sixth time in franchise history that the Hitmen had given up two short-handed goals in one game ... Calgary netminder Chris Driedger faced 31 shots while his teammates only managed 16 on Brossoit, who had been cut from Team Canada’s world junior auditions in Calgary just last week ... The hit of the game went to Josh Thrower, who’ll be playing for Team Pacific at the under-17 world championships in Quebec along with fellow Hitmen rookie Jake Virtanen. Thrower absolutely crushed Edmonton winger Brandon Baddock, who was casually striding into Calgary’s zone. ... Edmonton scratched D Griffin Reinhart (Canada world junior team), D David Musil (Czech world junior team), C Travis Ewanyk, LW Edgars Kulda (Latvian world junior team), and D Martin Gernat.