GAME SUMMARY: Oil Kings dump the Pats in Regina
Regina, SK – The Edmonton Oil Kings kicked off their three-game East Division road swing with a thrilling 3-2 win in Regina over the Pats on Wednesday night.
In the first period, a hard-working and determined effort from the Oil Kings would have them leading the Pats 2-1 after 20 minutes of play and outshooting them 9-7.
Luke Robson notched his third goal of the season just 2:28 into the game to give Edmonton an early lead after Rilen Kovacevic spotted him driving to the net and feathering a perfect pass for him to redirect into the back of the Regina cage.
The Pats levelled the score at the 13:52 mark with a goal from Tye Spencer but the Oil Kings answered right back thanks to Marshall Finnie’s seventh tally of the season just 1:44 later.
Loick Daigle and Rhett Melnyk went to work down below the Regina goal line and were able to spot Finnie open in front with a pass that he made no mistake depositing past the left leg of Regina netminder Kelton Pyne to give the visitor’s the lead at the first intermission.
In the second period, the Oil Kings picked up right where they left off in the first firing 13 more shots the way of the Regina net, and thanks to a power play marker from Gavin Hodnett just past the halfway mark of the frame, they would take a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
After the Oil Kings had several chances thwarted by Pyne in the opening 10 minutes of the period, Hodnett would be spotted up in the slot on a beautiful pass from Dawson Seitz and he wasted no time ripping a shot into the top-right corner of the Regina net for his 12th of the season.
The Pats had an opportunity a short-time later to chew into the two-goal deficit after Alexander Suzdalev was sprung on a breakaway but had his offering denied by a fine save from Kolby Hay.
In the third, Connor Bedard would get the Pats to within a goal with his 60th of the season just over eight minutes into the period but that is as close as they would come as Hay turned in 12 stops in the third period, including a miraculous paddle save during a goalmouth scramble in the closing seconds of the game to preserve the 3-2 win for the Oil Kings.
Hay finished the night making 31 saves for his sixth win of the season, while Pyne turned in 27 saves in the losing cause for the Pats. Edmonton went 1-for-4 on the power play, Regina was 0-for-3.
Next up, the Oil Kings continue their three-game road trip on Friday night in Winnipeg when they take on the ICE at 6:05 p.m. MT.
The Edmonton Oil Kings next home game is Friday, March 17 when they take on the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7:00 p.m.
The Edmonton Oil Kings provide Family Fun Second to None with great seats starting at just $20, head to oilkings.ca to secure your seat in #TheKingdom today!
