PREVIEW: Oil Kings Set to Tangle With Tigers
Medicine Hat, Alta. – The Edmonton Oil Kings are back in Canada and are back on the ice tonight as they take on the Medicine Hat Tigers at Co-op Place in Medicine Hat.
After a 3-2-1-0 stretch in the United States, the Oil Kings will look to improve on their 7-6-1-1 record as they visit the Tigers for the second time this season. Edmonton is coming off recently a loss to Wenatchee to close out their U.S swing, breaking a streak of four straight games where the Oil Kings earned at least a point. The Oil Kings are currently on a nine-game stretch away from Rogers Place and have gone 4-2-1-0 in those seven games.
Meanwhile, their opponents, the Tigers are coming off a 7-6 loss to Lethbridge on Wednesday night and are 9-8-0-0 on the season but have lost two games in a row. Gavin McKenna leads the way offensively for the Tigers as his 32 points in 17 games also lead the WHL. He also leads the WHL in assists through 17 games and was named the WHL’s Player of the Month for September and October. As a team, the Tigers have scored the 5th most goals in the WHL (67) at an average of 3.94 per-game and are allowing 3.59 goals per-game. On the other side, the Oil Kings allow the 9th least goals against (54) an average of 3.60 and are scoring at a rate of 3.67 goals per-game.
The last time these two teams met was early in the season, back on September 21, which ended in a 4-2 decision in favour of Medicine Hat. Joe Iginla and Lukas Sawchyn both scored for Edmonton in that game, while Medicine Hat got goals from Markus Ruck, Matt Paranych, Liam Ruck, and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll. The two clubs will meet six more times after tonight, including November 13 back in Edmonton.
Puck drop from Medicine Hat is at 7 p.m.
Oil Kings Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Gracyn Sawchyn (12, 8-12-20)
- Gavin Hodnett (15, 7-11-18)
- Roan Woodward (15, 6-8-14)
- Adam Jecho (13, 4-10-14)
- Miroslav Holinka (13, 8-5-13)
Oil Kings Milestone Watch:
- F Cole Miller is 9 games away from 200 as an Oil King.
- F Landon Hanson is 6 games away from 100 in the WHL
- D Parker Alcos is 8 games away from 100 in the WHL
- F Road Woodward is 13 games away from 200 in the WHL
- D Ethan MacKenzie is 12 games away from 100 in the WHL
- F Gavin Hodnett is 9 assists away from 100 in the WHL
- F Gracyn Sawchyn is 3 assists away from 100 in the WHL
Tigers Scoring Leaders (GP, G-A-Pts):
- Gavin McKenna (17, 10-22-32)
- Andrew Basha (16, 7-13-20)
- Oasiz Wiesblatt (16, 6-13-19)
- Hunter St. Martin (14, 14-2-16)
- Bryce Pickford (14, 6-10-16)
Season Schedule – Oil Kings vs. Tigers:
Saturday, Sep. 21, 2024 – @ MH (4-2 MH)
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 – @ Medicine Hat
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024 – @ Edmonton
Friday, Nov. 22, 2024 – @ Edmonton
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 – @ Medicine Hat
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 – @ Edmonton
Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 – @ Medicine Hat
Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025 – @ Edmonton
