Oil Kings take 3-2 series lead with 5-4 win over Tigers
Edmonton hangs on for the 5-4 victory, can close out series in Medicine Hat sunday
The Edmonton Oil Kings didn’t have much in the way of experience heading into their Western Hockey League playoff series against the Medicine Hat Tigers, but there was never any question of their depth.
Their ability to roll four lines is proving valuable as they took a 3-2 series lead with a tense 5-4 victory against Medicine Hat in Game 5 at Rogers Place on Friday.
Captain Trey Fix-Wolansky led the way for the Oil Kings with a pair of goals, while Andrei Pavlenko, Andrew Fyten and Scott Atkinson added the others. Goaltender Todd Scott made 27 saves to collect his second victory of the series, taking over from Dylan Myskiw, who started the first three games.
The Oil Kings can clinch the series Sunday in Medicine Hat. If necessary, Game 7 is Tuesday at Rogers Place.
“We started well, and I think we kind of sat back a little bit when we got ahead,” Fix-Wolansky said. “But we gutted one out and that’s the main thing. That start was huge, getting guys to the net and pucks to the net is the way to get by their goaltender.”
Friday’s victory was a little closer than the Oil Kings had intended, taking a 4-1 first-period lead and 5-2 advantage into the third.
But there is something to be said for experience as the Tigers kept clawing back and were unlucky to not tie the game, as Linus Nassen missed an open net moments after Medicine Hat cut the lead to a goal, with just under nine minutes to go in the final period.
The Oil Kings burst out of the gate, scoring on their first shot 16 seconds into the game.
Pavlenko took the puck wide on a rush down the left wing and the swung around the net, tucking a wraparound in past Tigers goaltender Mads Sogaard.
Medicine Hat tied the game 23 seconds later on the power play with their first shot of the game when Nassen floated a shot past a screened Scott.
Fyten restored the Oil Kings lead at 5:08, taking a feed from David Kope in front and tucking the puck in past Sogaard.
“It was a good game. Both teams played hard,” Fyten said. “We were able to come out with the win, so it was good. The end wasn’t too bad, you just have to stay calm in those situations, try to block the outside noise and what’s going on and play. That’s what we have to do.”
Fix-Wolansky then scored his first goal of the series, undressing defenceman Dylan MacPherson on a one-on-one rush before snapping a shot past Sogaard.
Atkinson rounded out the scoring in the period with 1:11 left to give the Oil Kings a 4-1 lead.
As had been the case in a number of periods in the series, traffic was mostly one way in the first as the Oil Kings outshot the Tigers 18-8 in the frame.
Medicine Hat cut into the deficit early in the second period when Ryan Chyzowski tipped a shot from Trevor Longo past Scott.
Fix-Wolansky restored the three-goal lead at 12:31 of the period, when he took a pass from Quinn Benjafield in front and stepped around Sogaard and tucked the puck into the net.
Vince Loschiavo picked up an assist on the goal after doing most of the heavy lifting, winning a battle along the boards and slipping the puck to Benjafield, who found Fix-Wolansky.
Playing their fifth game in less than a week, the Oil Kings looked the fresher team early on and gave the Tigers difficulty with continual puck possession and constant pressure.
The Oil Kings rolled four lines in the contest and got contributions from each unit.
Edmonton’s fourth line featuring Alistrov, Atkinson and Pavlenko had their best game of the series, while the second unit of Jake Neighbours, Fyten and Kope was a dominant physical force.
The Oil Kings’ inexperience, however, began to show in the third period as momentum started to swing in Medicine Hat’s direction.
In the third, Medicine Hat cut the lead to 5-3 as Tyler Preziuso won a battle for the puck behind the net and sent it out to James Hamblin along in front, who beat Scott.
Chyzowski made things interesting with just over eight minutes to go in the third, snapping a shot past Scott to make it 5-4.
After Loschiavo took a late high-sticking penalty, the Tigers had a golden chance to tie the game, but the Oil Kings were able to kill it off.
“Coming into the series, we knew the kind of game they were going to play,” Fix-Wolansky said. “You have set a game plan to match that and I think we’ve done a good job of that so far.”