Oil Kings score last minute victory over Hitmen
The Edmonton Oil Kings continue to find exciting ways to keep adding to their win column.
David Kope capitalized on a loose puck to break a 2-2 tie with just 55 seconds left in regulation to guide the Oil Kings (12-1-3-0) to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen (8-5-1-0) in front of 9,482 fans at Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday afternoon.
Kope tallied a goal and an assist on the day, while Jacson Alexander and Ethan Cap each earned their first goals of the season in the win.
The victory was the seventh straight for the Oil Kings, and gives the team points in 12 straight, along with 15 of its first 16 games played this season.
Todd Scott (6-1-3-0) was the busier man in goal Sunday, turning aside 38 of 40 shots on goal he faced.
Brayden Peters (2-2-0-0) surrendered three goals on 28 shots.
The Hitmen opened the game’s scoring at the eight minute mark to take a 1-0 lead, which proved to be the lone goal scored in the opening frame.
Near the midway point of the second Alexander registered his first goal of the season, ripping a shot from the point while the Oil Kings were on the power play at 9:46, from Riley Sawchuk and Kope.
Shots on goal were 13-11 Calgary in the first period, and 10-10 in the second.
At 11:03, James Malm restored the one-goal lead for the Hitmen, but the Oil Kings once again had some late game heroics up their sleeves.
Cap also got on the board with his first tally of the campaign, assisted by Wyatt McLeod, at 14:15.
Then, with less than a minute left to play in regulation, Kope banked the puck off of the Hitmen goaltender and into the back of the net at 19:05 to give Edmonton its first lead of the game, and the eventual win.
Shots on goal in the third were 17-7, Calgary, for a game total of 40-28, Hitmen.
Calgary was 0-for-2 on the power play while Edmonton went 1-for-6 with the man advantage.
James Malm (CGY) (3), Ethan Cap (EDM) (2), and Jacson Alexander (EDM) (1) were selected as the Three Stars of the Game.
Wyatt McLeod, Matthew Robertson and Ethan Cap each wore an “A” and skated as alternate captains to Scott Atkinson.
The Oil Kings are back at Rogers Place in short order to host the Prince Albert Raiders on Tuesday, November 5 at 7:00 PM MT.
EOK365 Season Seat Memberships, Five-Star Plans, Flex Packs and single game tickets are available for every Edmonton Oil Kings game this season. Ticket packages start at just $99 per seat, and single game tickets are as low as $20. Call 780-414-GOAL (4625), email [email protected] or visit OilKings.ca for more information.
