Oil Kings Pay A Visit To The Pacific Coliseum
After 5 straight games on the road, the Vancouver Giants return to the Pacific Coliseum for a 4 game homestand beginning Wednesday night vs. the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Giants are now 10-8-0-1 on the season and look to improve on their 7-1-0-1 home record. Currently they are tied for 2nd in the BC division and 4th in the western conference with the Victoria Royals with 21 points. The Oil Kings, one of the league’s up and coming teams, sport a record of 10-5-1-1 and sit 4th in the central division and 8th in the highly competitive eastern conference with 22 points. Wednesday marks game 2 of a 4 game road trip through British Columbia. The trip kicks off on the island tonight against the Royals.
Fresh off an impressive 5-3 victory Saturday in the provinical capital the Giants have now won 6 of their last 8 games. Brendan Gallagher heads into Wednesday’s tilt with the Oil Kings on a 3 game point streak in which he has 5 goals and 8 points. He now has 16 goals, 3rd most in the league, in 15 games and is 7th in league scoring wit 27 points. Marek Tvrdon is tied for 15th with 22 points, while the third member of that line, James Henry, is tied for 17th in scoring with 21 points. Cain Franson, who has been a pleasant surprise this season, is also riding a 3 game point streak. He now has 5 goals and 18 points in 19 games. Goaltender Adam Morrison continues his stellar play since being acquired from Saskatoon. The 20 year old has started 13 of the last 14 games, picking up 8 victories.
The second incarnation of the Edmonton Oil Kings are now in their 5th season in the WHL. With a franchise best 31 wins last year, this year’s squad is already on pace to shatter that record and more. The Oil Kings feature 7 NHL draft picks, a potential 1st round pick in this year’s NHL draft, and one of the best rookies in the league. The 7 players already drafted include captain Mark Pysyk (1st rd., 23rd overall 2010 – Buffalo), import Kristians Pelss (7th rd., 181st overall 2010 – Edmonton), the son of 6-time Stanley Cup champion Kevin Lowe, Keegan Lowe (3rd rd., 73rd overall 2011 – Carolina), Travis Ewanyk (3rd rd., 74th overall 2011 – Edmonton), the son of former Flyers/Maple Leafs goaltender Rick St. Croix, Michael St. Croix (4th rd., 106th overall 2011 – N.Y. Rangers), Slovakian import Martin Gernat (5th rd., 122nd overall 2011 – Edmonton), and goaltender Laurent Brossoit (6th rd., 164th overall 2011 – Calgary).
Edmonton boasts one of the best bluelines in the league anchored by Pysyk, Lowe, Gernat, and 17-year-old Griffin Reinhart. The son of former Vancouver Canucks blueliner Paul Reinhart, Griffin stands 6’4, 208 lbs and is projected to be a 1st round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He is the 2nd of 3 Reinhart boys playing in the WHL. Max and Sam both play with the Kootenay Ice.
Vernon, BC product Curtis Lazar is one of the league’s up and coming players. The Oil Kings 1st round pick, 2nd overall in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, Lazar has 5 goals, 12 points in 17 games in his rookie season so far. Lazar was a teammate with Giants goaltender Jackson Whistle and forward Jackson Houck on Team BC at the 2011 Canada Winter Games. He helped lead BC to a gold medal breaking all the tournament scoring records with 12 goals and 17 points in just 6 games.
Since Edmonton returned to the league in 2007 the Giants are 7-1-0-0 vs. the Oil Kings and a perfect 3-0-0-0 on home ice. Puck drop is a 7:00 pm Wednesday night. The pregame show on AM 650 begins at 6:30 pm. The game can also be seen live on Shaw TV.
