Hurricanes Suffer First Loss of Season Sunday
Edmonton, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes ended a two-game weekend in Edmonton on Sunday afternoon with a wild 8-5 loss to the Oil Kings at Rogers Place.
Hurricanes rookie netminder Brady Smith made his first WHL start in the contest, and he was tested early as Edmonton pressed on the opening shift which saw Adam Jecho get a chance in the slot, but a shot hit the goal post and stayed out. Oil Kings had a power play midway through the first period, but Smith was able to turn aside both Edmonton shots to keep it scoreless. Late in the frame, the Oil Kings opened the scoring when Marshall Finnie ripped home his team-leading fourth goal to make it a 1-0 lead. The lead was brief for Edmonton as the Hurricanes answered on the very next shift just 11-seconds after the Oil Kings goal as Anton Astashevich redirected a Joe Arntsen point-shot to make it a 1-1 game; Blake Swetlikoff earned the second assist on the goal. Lethbridge outshot Edmonton 14-11 in the first period which was even after twenty minutes.
Lethbridge outshot Edmonton 13-10 in the second period, but it was the Oil Kings that would find the net. Edmonton pulled ahead on a shorthanded goal at the 6:21 as Rilen Kovacevic snapped home his first of the season to make it a 2-1 Oil King lead. Just 28-seconds later, Kovacevic struck again as he banked one off Brady Smith and into the net to make it 3-1. Edmonton continued to pour it on as they struck again at the 12:42 mark when Adam Jecho ripped home his first WHL goal to give the Oil Kings a 4-1 advantage. Once again, another goal was scored in quick succession when Vojtech Port finished a give-and-go play with Rhett Melnyk to make it a 5-1 Edmonton lead after two periods.
It was a crazy third period that saw the two teams combined for seven goals. The ‘Canes made it a three-goal deficit just 2:41 into the period when Dustin Renas cashed a rebound for his first of the season making it a 5-2 game; Luke Cozens earned his first WHL assist on the play while Hayden Smith had the other. The ‘Canes struck again at the 11:29 mark as Noah Chadwick let fly with a wrist shot from the blue line that found its way passed a screened Logan Cunningham to close the score to 5-3. However, under a minute later, Edmonton restored a three-goal lead as Jecho buried his second of the game to make it 6-3. Lethbridge stayed hungry and just 23-seconds later, Miguel Marques rifled home his first goal of the year to make it 6-4. The Hurricanes pulled the goaltender late in the game and would give up a pair of empty net goals to Marc Lajoie and Nathan Pilling, though adding a goal in between by Renas who wired his second of the night as the Oil Kings hung on to a crazy 8-5 victory.
The Hurricanes outshot the Oil Kings 17-8 in the third period while holding the edge 44-29 in the contest. Lethbridge went 0/3 on the power play while Edmonton was 0/1 with the extra man
Three stars of the game were:
1) Oil Kings – #39 Rilen Kovacevic (2 goals, 1 assist)
2) Oil Kings – #43 Adam Jecho (2 goals, 1 assist)
3) Oil Kings – #44 Vojtech Port (1 goal)
The loss for the Hurricanes was their first defeat of the year as they dropped their record to 3-1-0-0 on the young campaign. Lethbridge’s road record falls to 2-1-0-0 on the season with the loss.
The ‘Canes will return to the ENMAX Centre on Friday, October 6th when they welcome the Moose Jaw Warriors at 7:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase by visiting the ENMAX Centre Ticket Centre, by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328) or online at www.enmaxcentre.ca.
