PREVIEW: Oil Kings Continue Road Trip in Regina
Regina, Sask. – The Edmonton Oil Kings continue a three-game road trip tonight in Regina as they battle the Pats at the Brandt Centre.
Edmonton will look to get back into the win column after dropping a 6-3 decision to the Swift Current Broncos on Wednesday. It’s the first time the Oil Kings have lost back-to-back games since mid-November. The Oil Kings now sit with a 22-16-1-2 record and are fifth in the WHL’s Eastern Conference, just five points back of Central Division leading Medicine Hat.
Gavin Hodnett and Lukas Sawchyn will both look to stay hot as Hodnett has a goal in four straight games, while Sawchyn has points in seven consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, the Pats are coming off a win on Wednesday against Red Deer by a 4-3 score and they’re now 1-1-0-0 on a three-game homestand. The Pats are 12-22-4-2 this season and are 10th in the Eastern Conference. Offensively, the Pats are led by mid-season acquisition Julien Maze who has 30 points (9G, 21A) in 38 games.
Tonight marks the third of four meetings between the Oil Kings and the Pats. So far this season, the home team has won both games, and both games have also needed extra time. Most recently, on December 8, the Oil Kings grabbed a 3-2 overtime win, courtesy of Lukas Sawchyn’s overtime winner. Back in October, the Pats took down the Oil Kings 3-2 in a shootout. Blake Fiddler and Gracyn Sawchyn each have two points in the season series to lead the way for Edmonton, while Maze leads Regina after having played one game for the Pats, and one for the Everett Silvertips, earning three points against Edmonton.
Puck drop from Regina is 6 p.m. MT from the Brandt Centre.
Oil Kings Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Gracyn Sawchyn (38, 23-36-59)
- Gavin Hodnett (41, 19-23-42)
- Roan Woodward (41, 16-24-40)
- Lukas Sawchyn (41, 8-23-31)
- Adam Jecho (30, 9-16-25)
Oil Kings Milestone Watch:
- F Gracyn Sawchyn is 19 points away from 200 in the WHL
- F Marshall Finnie is 18 points away from 100 in the WHL
- F Adam Jecho is 16 games away from 100 in the WHL
Pats Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Julien Mazer (38, 9-21-30)
- Caden Brown (34, 13-10-23)
- John Babcock (39, 1-18-19)
- Braxton Whitehead (37, 5-12-17)
- Keets Fawcett (38, 5-11-16)
2024-25 Schedule vs. Regina
Friday, October 5 @ REG (3-2 REG – SO)
Sunday, December 8 @ EDM (3-2 EDM – OT)
Friday, January 17 @ Regina
Wednesday, February 12 @ Edmonton
