PREVIEW: Oil Kings @ Saskatoon Blades 3.9.24
MARCH 9, 2024 – SASKTEL CENTRE – 6:00 PM
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2023-24 Schedule vs. Saskatoon
Wednesday, Oct 4 @ Saskatoon (5-3 SAS)
Wednesday, Oct 11 @ Edmonton (7-0 SAS)
Sunday, Jan 21 @ Edmonton (4-1 SAS)
Saturday, March 9 @ Saskatoon
Matchup Notes
Tonight marks the 4th and final meeting of the year between the 2 clubs. Saskatoon has won all of the previous 3 contests.
Adam Jecho leads all Oil Kings in scoring with 2 points (1G, 1A), while Edor Sidorov (3G, 3A) leads the way for the Blades in the head to head with six points.
All-time, the Oil Kings and Blades have met 65 times in the regular season with the Oil Kings holding a record of 32-28-3-2.
Coming In
The Oil Kings are coming off of a 3-2 overtime win in Prince Albert on Friday night.
Edmonton scored first for the 34th time in the 2023/24 regular season as Gavin Hodnett broke down the left wing on a 2-on-1, and delivered a perfect pass to Gracyn Sawchyn as he picked his spot and ripped the biscuit over top of Raiders Goalie Max Hildebrand less than 5 minutes in.
Prince Albert would answer back as the Oil Kings started out on the powerplay behind the net. Raiders Forward Sloan Stanick surprised Defenseman Marc Lajoie, forced the puck out in front and slid it through the legs of Oil Kings Goalie Kolby Hay to tie it up. Edmonton would then regain the lead again at 14:10 of period 1 when Ty Nash slid a puck across to Landon Hanson on a 2-on-1, who then redirected it through the legs of Hildebrand.
Prince Albert would answer back in yet another awkward bounce that found its way behind Kolby Hay in a screened shot from the right point. Niall Crocker was credited with it, sending the game to overtime.
It was Gavin Hodnett who ended it for Edmonton on a 4-on-3 powerplay, shortly after a time-out called by Head Coach Luke Pierce to draw up the perfect play. The Scottsdale, Arizona native Nash delivered yet another perfect feed across to the Oil King point leader who one timed a clapper into a wide open net.
Edmonton would finish the season series with Prince Albert winning 3 of the 4 meetings, including both at the Art Hauser Centre.
EOK Notables
● The Oil Kings win on Friday night was their first OT victory on the road in the 2023/24 Western Hockey League season.
● Oil Kings Forward Gavin Hodnett has now scored in 3 consecutive games, the second time this season he’s accomplished that feat.
● Oil Kings defenceman Marc Lajoie sits 12th in defenceman points (48), 2nd in defenceman goals (20), 1st in defenceman PP goals (11) and 6th in defenceman PP points (26) in the WHL. His 11 power play goals rank tied for 6th overall in the entire WHL amongst all skaters.
● Oil Kings defenceman Marc Lajoie is in 5th for the most career power play goals by an Oil Kings defenceman in franchise history with 11 trailing only Griffin Reinhart (12), Cody Corbett (12), Aaron Irving (13) and Conner McDonald (14).
SAS Notables
● Blades Forward Trevor Wong has 97 points on the season, and has points in 48 of his 61 games played this season.
● Blades Forward Egor Sidorov leads the Western Hockey League with 10 game winning goals.
Milestone Watch
● F Smyth Rebman is 3 games away from 100 career WHL games.
● F Ty Nash is 7 assists away from 100 career WHL assists.
● D Marc Lajoie is 5 assists away from 100 career WHL assists.
● F Skyler Bruce is 3 goals away from 50 career WHL goals.
Lineup Report
● F Presley Kerner, lower-body, week-to-week (Games missed: 11)
● F Skyler Bruce, lower-body, day-to-day (Games missed: 10)
Streaks
● F Gavin Hodnett is on a 3-game point streak (3g-1a-4pts).
Who’s Hot
● F Landon Hanson has 4 points (2G, 2A) in his last 5 games.
● F Ty Nash has 24 points (6G, 18A) in his last 22 games.
● F Cole Miller has 3 points (2G, 1A) in his last 5 games.
● F Gracyn Sawchyn has 21 points (5G, 16A) in his last 19 games.
● F Gavin Hodnett has 15 points (6G, 9A) in his last 14 games.