GAME SUMMARY: Oil Kings fall to ICE
Edmonton, AB – The Edmonton Oil Kings opened up their two-game home set with the Winnipeg ICE this week with a loss at Rogers Place on Sunday afternoon.
BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTOS | REACTION
In the first period, the ICE came out of the gates at top speed outshooting the Oil Kings 22-6, but due to some strong netminding by Kolby Hay and a late goal from Rilen Kovacevic, the Oil Kings found themselves within one after 20 minutes of play.
The ICE grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from Zach Benson in the opening 8:33 of the game as twice he picked the low corner with a pin-point accurate shot from the right-circle.
After Hay was able to keep the unrelenting ICE attack at bay for the remainder of the period, the Oil Kings cashed in a late odd-man rush after Cole Miller set Kovacevic up to pick the top corner in front of the Winnipeg net with just one second left on the clock.
In the second period, the ICE put the throttle down and tacked on three goals to take a 5-1 lead into the third period.
Conor Geekie restored the Winnipeg two-goal advantage just over three minutes into the frame after walking the puck in front of the Edmonton net and zipping a shot past the outstretched glove-hand of Hay.
Benson completed his hat-trick at the 10-minute mark with a short-side shot from the left-circle to make it 4-1, and less than two minutes later Zack Ostapchuk etched his name in the goal column by stuffing home a loose puck on a goal-mouth scramble in front of the Edmonton cage.
In the third period, the ICE scored three more times to finish the game with an 8-1 victory.
Geekie scored twice in the third period to register a hat-trick of his own while rookie forward Miles Cooper would finish the scoring by recording his first career WHL goal in only his second career game.
Hay finished the afternoon making 31 saves while Mason Beaupit made 14 in the win for the ICE. Edmonton went 0-for-6 on the power play, Winnipeg was 0-for-5.
Next up, the Oil Kings and ICE do battle again at Rogers Place on Tuesday, February 28 in the Oil Kings annual Hockey Hooky game at 11:00 a.m.
The Edmonton Oil Kings next home game is Tuesday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. against the Winnipeg ICE.
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!
