Andy Devlin/Edmonton Oil Kings

Edmonton scores late to beat the Hitmen

 

The Calgary Hitmen (11-19-6-1) opened the New Year with a trip up north to face the Edmonton Oil Kings (10-22-4-1). Edmonton has managed points in all four of their previous games since returning from Christmas break. Calgary opened the New Year hoping to gain ground on the Eastern Conference wild card spot. Josh Dechaine got the nod for Edmonton while Nick Schneider started for Calgary.

(photo by Andy Devlin)

The Oil Kings came out hot to start the game. They scored three goals in the opening frame. Trey Fix-Wolansky opened the scoring 4:15 into the game off a Davis Koch feed that gave Fix-Wolansky tons of time to put the puck past Schneider. Edmonton strengthened their lead with a Colton Kehler power play goal late, and continued to add to the lead with Trey Fix-Wolansky’s second goal of the period. Shots were 16-1 for the Oil Kings after one.

 

Calgary decreaseed their deficit with an Andrei Grishakov power play goal 6:16 into the second, Grishakov’s eleventh of the season. Edmonton regained there three-goal lead late however on David Kope’s fifth goal of the season. A turnover caused by Fix-Wolansky sprung Kope and Fix-Wolansky on a two-on-zero rush to create the goal.

(photo by Andy Devlin)

In the third, Calgary found a way to complete a late game come back and tie the game 4-4. Mark Kastelic got his eleventh goal of the season to spring the Calgary Hitmen rally. Jakob Stukel cut the lead down to a goal with a well-placed shot that got by Dechaine. Calgary completes their come back with Mark Kastelic’s second of the period, a power play goal with less than five minutes to play. Late in the third, Davis Koch gave the Oil Kings another lead with less than four minutes left to play. It came off a loose puck that Koch was able to find. Edmonton was able to close out the final few minutes and beat the Hitmen 5-4. Shots were 35-19 for the Hitmen.

 

Game Notes:

-The first period might have been the Oil Kings best of the season. They outshot Calgary 16-1 and were able to go up 3-0 in the first twenty. They were able to generate a lot of offense down low, getting pucks on net, working off the cycle and really being more purposeful with the puck.

-Luke Prokop, the Calgary Hitmen’s 2017 first round pick got his first WHL point. He played well, looked much less tentative and more poised than most 15-year-olds.

-Trey Fix-Wolansky has strung together some real impressive performances since the Christmas break. Fix-Wolansky has been really possessive and creating offense every time he is on the ice. He’s been less creative and more purposeful. He’s able to pop pucks to the middle, create an open man with his skill, get quick effective shots off that make him dangerous from everywhere and making things happen with his strong east west game.