Lacklustre second period tells tale as Oil Kings fall
The ship may have sailed on the Edmonton Oil Kings playoff aspirations this season, but head coach Steve Hamilton does not want his team to stop rowing.
Therefore, despite playing well in spurts in a 4-2 loss against the Kamloops Blazers at Rogers Place on Sunday, Hamilton was not all too impressed with his club’s effort, particularly in the second period.
“That second period wasn’t very good again tonight,” Hamilton said. “The second period wasn’t very good in Kootenay (5-1 win Friday). You work to establish a little presence in the game at the start and then in the second period we’re comfortable being in second place and that sets the tone for the rest of the game.
“We ended up having to chase the game, basically, after that.”
Brendan Semchuk and Colton Kehler scored for the Oil Kings in the loss, while goaltender Todd Scott made 24 saves.
Quinn Benjafield scored two goals for the Blazers, Nolan Kneen and Jermaine Loewen had the others. Blazers goaltender Max Palaga made 32 saves in the victory.
“We started off strong, but as the game progressed, we went downhill a little bit,” Semchuk said. “We didn’t get any Grade A chances and we can’t lose these points.”
The Oil Kings were all over their opponents early and went on to outshot the Blazers 17-10 in the first period. Yet, Benjafield opened the scoring 11:35 into the frame when he tipped a point shot by Kneen past Scott.
The Oil Kings goaltender, acquired in a trade from the Vancouver Giants just prior to the Jan. 10 trade deadline, was making his second-consecutive start for the Oil Kings. Scott, 17, made 43 saves in the win against the Ice on Friday.
“He’s competitive, he’s athletic,” said Hamilton. “He’s a guy that gives himself a chance to make a save sometimes purely based on athleticism. I think there is going to be some fine-tuning of his game with our goaltending coaches, but he certainly has all the right tools.”
Semchuk tied the game 3:30 into the second period, getting to a loose puck in front of the net and banging it in past Palaga.
Semchuk, 18, was also acquired from the Vancouver Giants in the trade for centre Davis Koch and has three goals in his first four games with the Oil Kings. He had eight in 33 games with the Giants prior to the trade.
Semchuk is playing on the Oil Kings top line with Tomas Soustal and Trey Fix-Wolansky.
“I’m definitely feeling more comfortable with the line I’ve been put on and we’re gelling right now,” Semchuk said. “It’s a huge opportunity and I think I need to keep going and play my game.”
Kneen restored the Blazers lead on the power play at 8:38 of the period, beating Scott through a screen with a shot from outside the left faceoff circle.
Benjafield put the visitors up 3-1 just over three minutes later poking in a rebound in front after Todd found himself turned around in his crease.
Kehler pulled one back with 1:39 left in the period on the power play, burying a cross-ice pass from FixWolansky. Loewen, 18, rounded out the scoring in the third period with his team-leading 21st goal of the season.
The Oil Kings outshot the Blazers 8-6 in the third period, but were unable to generate a quality scoring opportunity.
With the Oil Kings well out of the playoff race, Hamilton and his coaching staff are using the rest of the season to evaluate their roster heading into the future. So far Semchuk, the 10th overall pick in the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft, has impressed.
“He’s a kid that we’re trying to figure out the best fit,” Hamilton said. “He’s played well the last couple of games and had some contributions offensively. That’s something we’re going to use in this last portion of the year, find out where guys best fit and the chemistry that they have.
“But certainly, both guys have added to the lineup.”