GAME SUMMARY: Oil Kings stymie Tigers, win fourth straight

Edmonton, AB – The Edmonton Oil Kings (4-0-0-0) erased an early first period deficit to claw back against the Medicine Hat Tigers (2-2-0-0) for a 3-1 win on Saturday night in a tight-checking affair.

“It was a difficult game for us, I thought Medicine Hat played and skated well tonight, especially early,” said Oil Kings Head Coach Brad Lauer. “I thought we really tightened it up from the 10-minute mark of the second period. I really liked how we competed, we didn’t give them a lot and the game really felt like it had a bit of a playoff feel to it.”

The usually fast starting Oil Kings had the script flipped on them on Saturday by the Tigers as it would be Medicine Hat captain Ryan Chyzowski opening the scoring just 3:53 into the opening period. The Tigers goal ended the Oil Kings streak of not trailing in a game this year at 183:53.

It would take the Oil Kings to around the midway point of the first period to shake off their bus legs and start to generate some offensive chances. A dazzling between-the-legs rush from the league’s leading scorer Dylan Guenther that Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund came up with a toe-save on started the minor momentum shift. Bjorklund would then send Oil Kings skaters Josh Williams, Ethan Peters and Brendan Kuny looking skyward making a trio of saves off them near the end of the opening frame to preserve the Tigers lead heading to the intermission.

The Oil Kings would again get off to a slow start in the second period but a dialled-in Sebastian Cossa between the pipes would keep his team within a goal. Shortly after a failed power play attempt halfway through the period, Jalen Luypen would tie the game with his third goal in as many games, snapping a shot high over the left shoulder of Bjorklund on a two-on-one rush from the left circle. Caleb Reimer would pick up his first career WHL point with the lone assist.

“I think Jalen has really grown,” added Lauer on Luypen’s hot start to the season. “He had to earn it, he’s worked hard, he’s put the time in during the summer.  He’s always had good hockey sense and been reliable defensively, but now he’s getting the opportunity to create offence five-on-five and it’s a credit to him as he’s taking advantage of it.”

What was a tight-checking period for most of it would open up in the latter stages with the Oil Kings getting dynamite chances from Jake Neighbours and Liam Keeler that fell by the wayside, sending the two clubs to the third period tied 1-1.

The final frame saw an Oil Kings defensive showcase as they held the Tigers without a shot on goal until the final minute of the period.

“It was something we talked about in the second period,” said Lauer. “In the third period we didn’t complicate things, we kept it simple and stuck to a plan and our team game.”

Captain Scott Atkinson would break the dead-lock late in regulation with his second goal of the season as he converted a one-timer from the slot on a Carter Souch setup just five seconds into a power play. Neighbours would salt the game away for the Oil Kings with an empty-net goal with under 40 seconds to play. The goal was also his second of the year.

The Oil Kings are off now until March 19 when they welcome the Red Deer Rebels to the Downtown Community Arena.

Notes

• Tonight’s win gave the Oil Kings just their second-ever 4-0-0-0 start to a season in modern franchise history; the first came during the 2018-19 season when the team would win their first five games.
• Kaid Oliver assisted on Jake Neighbours’ empty-net goal to extend his personal point streak to 5 games (3G, 8A) dating back to last season.
• Jake Neighbours was able to extend his personal point streak to four games (2G, 5A) to start the season.
• Jalen Luypen is now on a career-best three-game goal scoring streak.
• The Oil Kings went 1-for-3 on the power play and have now scored a power-play goal in all four games to start the season.
• The Oil Kings were only penalized once during the game after finding themselves shorthanded 22 times through their previous three games.
• Tonight’s win was the Oil Kings 200th road win in modern franchise history.