Oil Kings Ready to Clash with PA
SEASON-AT-A-GLANCE: The Edmonton Oil Kings come into today’s match-up with the Prince Albert Raiders with a 4-5-0-0 record that puts them fifth in the Central Division and 11th in the WHL Eastern Conference. The Oil Kings have at least one game in hand on all but two other teams in the conference.
LAST GAME: It took a couple of periods to get going, but Edmonton knocked off the Spokane Chiefs4-1 at Rexall Place on Friday night. Curtis Lazar scored back-to-back goals in the third period, while Edgars Kulda and Mitch Moroz also tallied for the Oil Kings. Tristan Jarry made 16 saves, including stoning WHL leading scoring Mitch Holmberg on a third-period breakaway, to record the win.
REGULAR SEASON LEADERS: Mitch Moroz – 8 Goals; Henrik Samuelsson – 15 Assists; Henrik Samuelsson – 19 Points; Cody Corbett – plus-8; Curtis Lazar – 2 GWG; 3 Players Tied – 2 PPG; Henrik Samuelsson – 4 PPA; Mitch Moroz – 33 PIM
SPECIAL TEAMS: Edmonton’s power-play has converted eight of 47 chances for an 17% efficiency, 18th in the WHL. Last game they went 0-3 against Spokane. The Oil Kings penalty kill is rated sixth in the WHL, killing off 81.8% of penalties this season, including all three of Spokane’s chances on Friday.
THIS SEASON VS PRINCE ALBERT: The Oil Kings played their best game of the 2013-14 season in their only match-up of the season with the Raiders, coming out of Prince Albert with a 9-1 win on October 4 and handing the Raiders their first loss of the year. Curtis Lazar responded to a cross-check to the face with a hat trick, and Riley Keiser scored his first two goals as an Oil King and Edmonton pounded nine even-strength goals through the Prince Albert defence. Tristan Jarry stopped 17 of 18 shots he faced to pick up the win.
KINGS IN THE KITCHEN: The Oil Kings held their annual team cook-off this weekend, with the squad of Cody Corbett, Mitchell Walter, Ben Carroll and Luke Bertolucci narrowly emerging victorious over six other teams. Judges were impressed with the team’s fish pita entree and particularly their brownie dessert. The runners-up were Curtis Lazar, Dysin Mayo, Lane Bauer and Reid Petryk, whose menu featured salmon Lane Bauer caught himself in Alaska this summer.
HE’S HEATING UP: Curtis Lazar has yet to be held off the score sheet since returning to the Oil Kings in early October. The 18-year-old first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators has scored in all five games he’s played this season, racking up five goals and five assists over that span.
THEY’RE ON FIRE!: Henrik Samuelsson and Mitch Moroz both come into tonight’s game riding seven-game point streaks. Samuelsson, who has three goals and 12 assists over that span, sits third in the WHL in scoring with 19 points this season, while Moroz, who has picked up seven goals and four assists over this hot streak, is fifth in the league with eight goals. Also among the league leaders in the WHL is defenceman Cody Corbett who leads all blueliners with seven goals. Corbett’s 14 points have him third among WHL rearguards.
A-B-Cs: The Oil Kings were large participants in Read-in Week this year in Edmonton and area schools, visiting 16 schools and helping upwards of 1000 kids learn the value of reading. Every Oil King not attending school themselves went to read to classes featuring classic books like “The Hockey Sweater” or Robert Munsch’s “Just One Goal”.
UP NEXT: The Oil Kings make the short road trip to Red Deer Friday for their first match-up of the season with the Rebels.
