After a perfect six point weekend, the Calgary Hitmen will get back to play this Friday as they kick off three straight games in three days. In closing out their six game road stint, the Hitmen narrowed the gap behind the Medicine Hat Tigers, who sit in third in the Central Division, while increasing their lead in the Eastern Conference wild card race. With two divisional games upcoming this weekend, Calgary has an opportunity to continue their hot streak and creep up the Central Division standings.
The Hitmen will open the weekend with a rematch against the struggling Regina Pats. Regina hosted the Hitmen just last Wednesday in a game that featured terrific goaltending from both sides. Max Paddock registered 32 saves, while Jack McNaughton recorded 31. The two received third and second star, respectively. Ultimately, it was Mark Kastelic and the Hitmen special teams who sealed the deal for Calgary. Despite the Pats’ recent struggles, Calgary has yet to run away with either of the games against Regina, as Max Paddock has kept his club in both games. The Hitmen have also scored shorthanded goals against the Pats in both contests, while Egor Zamula (4a) and Mark Kastelic (4g,4a) have single handedly dominated Regina, putting up 12 points combined. The Pats, however, are in the midst of an offensive surge, winning their last two games while scoring 11 goals. Robbie Holmes has been lethal as of late with four goals and a helper in his club’s last two while finding chemistry with newly acquired Carson Denomie. This game will mark the first of two remaining games featuring these two clubs at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The following night, the Hitmen will travel north to face the Edmonton Oil Kings for the fifth meeting between the two this season. The Hitmen have struggled against the Oil Kings this season since Calgary’s home opener, which was a heated tilt that saw Carson Focht as the overtime hero. Despite maintaining the second seed in the ever-so-competitive Central Division, the Oil Kings have struggled in their last 10, winning only three while picking up just nine points. A major key to Edmonton’s success against the Hitmen so far this year has been their ability to wear down Calgary on the power play while also putting the puck in the net. In just four games, the Oil Kings have had 24 power-play opportunities and have capitalized on over 29% of them. Discipline has obviously been an issue in these rivalry games for the Hitmen, so their response to high emotions during this matchup in particular will be key.
Lastly, the Hitmen will end the weekend with another home game, this time against the Red Deer Rebels. Red Deer has also struggled this season and are winners of just seven of 23 games played thus far. Red Deer has been led by captain Dawson Barteaux and Brett Davis but overall have found difficulty in scoring goals. They have also allowed the most goals against in the entire league with 101. The last game the two teams played was a very one-sided affair that saw Calgary outshoot the Rebels 33-16 en route to a 5-1 victory. Riley Stotts was a monster for Calgary as the centreman scored his first three goals of the season for a hat trick. Calgary also received two power-play goals from Zamula and Stotts, while Barteaux was the only member of the Rebels to tally despite seven power-play attempts.
The Hitmen will follow this three-game weekend with yet another three-game stint the following weekend. Starting Friday, December 6th, Calgary has a home-and-home battle against Edmonton before hosting Everett on Sunday.
The Hitlist:
- The Central Division is currently the only division in which the top three teams have at least 30 points.
- With just 18 games played, Mark Kastelic sits tied for 5th in goals with 16 on the season. He is also among the league’s top centremen in draws, winning 59.4%.
- The Red Deer Rebels have allowed 18 goals in the last two games, while scoring just three.
