RECAP: Oil Kings Clinch Playoff Berth with Win over Rockets
Edmonton, Alta. – The Edmonton Oil Kings have clinched a spot in the 2025 WHL Playoffs with a 6-3 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night at Rogers Place.
The win combined with the Red Deer Rebels loss to Medicine Hat officially clinched the spot for the Oil Kings. The win is also the first for the Oil Kings over the Rockets at Rogers Place, and first win over Kelowna in Edmonton since January of 2015, a stretch of five games.
HEY CHAT, WHAT DO YOU SAY WE GO TO THE PLAYOFFS!?! 👑
Your Edmonton Oil Kings have officially clinched their spot in the 2025 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/jEPc3A8DBN
— x – Edmonton Oil Kings (@EdmOilKings) March 8, 2025
It was a strange game at times in Edmonton with the score sitting at 3-3 after one period. The first goal of the game came from the Rockets less than a minute in as a misplayed puck from Oil Kings netminder Ethan Simcoe was knocked in by Dawson Gerwing to make it 1-0. Edmonton responded with two of their own as Roan Woodward scored on the powerplay just about eight minutes into the period before Jack Toogood fired a one-timer passed Rockets goalie Jake Pilon to make it 2-1. However, Jakub Stancl and Kanjyu Gojsic would score in less than a two minute span to give Kelowna the 3-2 lead. That ended the night for Simcoe for the Oil Kings after allowing three goals on six shots, making way for 16-year-old Parker Snell.
Landon Hanson would tie the game up for Edmonton with a minute to go in the period with a powerplay marker heading into the intermission.
No team would score in the second period with chances going both way in a penalty filled period. Edmonton had an extended five-on-three in the period as well but were unable to score.
It only took 3:24 for the stalemate to be broken in the third period as Gracyn Sawchyn capitalized on another powerplay for his 29th goal of the season to make it 4-3. Woodward would notch his second of the night at the 9:12 mark of the period for the Oil Kings first two-goal lead of the contest. Then, to cap it off, Woodward added another into the empty net for his second hat-trick of the season.
Snell ultimately stopped 25 shots in relief for Edmonton, earning the win, the second of his WHL career.
Edmonton ultimately went 3-for-7 on the powerplay and 5-for-5 on the penalty kill as they outshot Kelowna 38-31 in the game.
The Oil Kings host Swift Current on Sunday afternoon.
