Oil Kings coaches get the job done

CALGARY – Head coach Derek Laxdal looks after the Edmonton Oil Kings’ power play while associate Steve Hamilton runs the penalty-killing unit.

Give both coaches a gold star on Tuesday night.

The Oil Kings have been living off their special teams during the first half of the Western Hockey League season. It was more of the same in Calgary with two short-handed goals and two on their four power play chances in the 4-1 win over the Hitmen.

Edmonton has given up just 13 power-play goals in 166 chances over 35 games. And they’ve scored 42 power-play goals in 142 tries.

“Steve and I really take a lot of pride in this,” said Laxdal.

“Tonight, the special teams were extra special. The shorthanded goals changed the tide.”

No kidding. Greg Chase, whose dad Kyle used to be the morning man on The Team radio station before going into the oilfield business, gave the Hitmen a 1-0 first-period lead and they looked to go up by two after a cheesy slashing call to Brandon Baddock.

But Henrik Samuelsson buried Curtis Lazar’s pass to tie it. Then Samuelsson got a second on a breakaway to make it 3-1.

The Oil Kings have had precious few off-nights killing penalties, nights when they just didn’t have it.

“If we have a bad night, Hammy (Hamilton) is telling us to wake up,” said Samuelsson, laughing.

The common complaint on the Oil Kings’ power play is they don’t shoot enough. But it’s tough to knock 42 powerplay goals in 35 games.

“The last power play we had with the five forwards out there they wouldn’t shoot it. I’m sure they could hear me from the bench yelling. I sounded like a fan,” said Laxdal, laughing. He watched as defenceman Ashton Sautner’s slapshot was tipped a little later by Lazar to make it 4-1.

“There are some special kids out there who can move the puck (Michael St. Croix, Dylan Wruck, Lazar, Samuelsson, T.J. Foster), but when we do shoot it, good things happen.

“You saw it on the last goal,” said Laxdal.