Rudyard Kipling once described Medicine Hat as “The City with All Hell for a Basement,” a nod to the fiery ocean of natural gas simmering beneath the city. Tonight, the Edmonton Oil Kings will test that description firsthand, rolling into The Gas City for a rubber match with the Tigers, a team still licking its wounds after a humbling visit to Rogers Place.
This game comes at the crossroads of two stories. Edmonton, red-hot and riding a four-game winning streak, has packed the bus for a three-week, eight-game journey through the West, including their lone trip into British Columbia this season. But before the team rolls over the Rockies, there’s unfinished business to tend to deep in Tiger Country.
Wednesday night’s 7–3 win over the Red Deer Rebels was the kind of statement game that makes people sit up and take notice. Six different Oil Kings found the back of the net. The scoring was spread out, the energy contagious, and the confidence unmistakable. It felt like a team announcing itself … again.
Jensen Marsh’s return from Drumheller couldn’t have gone much better. Dropped right back into the lineup, he scored the opening goal, added an assist, and now finds himself on a tidy three-game point streak, conveniently all against Red Deer. Not bad for a player battling for playing time.
Around him, the streaks keep stacking. Ethan MacKenzie at five games. Max Curran, Adam Jecho, and Lukas Sawchyn at four. Josh Lee at three. It’s a list that reads like a roll call of contributors rather than passengers, and the result has been explosive: 29 goals in the last four games, outscoring opponents by a combined 29–13 over that stretch.
Meanwhile, Medicine Hat’s once-impenetrable home record took its first dent of the season. After dropping a 6–1 game in Edmonton last Saturday, the Tigers came home and promptly fell 4–3 in overtime to the Tri-City Americans. Two straight losses, both frustrating in very different ways. For a proud team that had been sitting neck-and-neck with Edmonton for first in the Eastern Conference, there’s no question the fire will be burning beneath their skates tonight.
The Oil Kings enter the game with a 6–3 record on the road, looking every bit the confident, attacking group that’s rediscovered its swagger. This stop in The Hat is more than just a detour on the way to B.C., it’s a test of how well this young group can sustain its newfound rhythm when the crowd isn’t cheering for them.
On The Throne
Those players that are considered to be trending upwards, on a hot streak, or otherwise impressing will be seen as being On The Throne.
Max Curran - What more can I possibly say about Max Curran this week? The reigning WHL Player of the Week added 3 points to his total on Wednesday, with 2 assists and the eventual game winning goal in the win over Red Deer. He also contributed 10 Faceoff wins on 14 attempts, while looking nothing at all like the player that started this year. Max has found some confidence, he’s found some line chemistry, and he’s firing on all cylinders and in every phase of the game right now. He has 13 points in 4 games, and 21 points total on the season. He’s playing like a man who’s figured it out, winning draws, controlling the pace, and producing in every zone. Confidence looks good on him.
Ethan MacKenzie - I would have to be a fool to take Ethan MacKenzie off of the throne right now. Everything that Max Curran is doing as a forward right now, Ethan Mackenzie is doing the same and more as a defenseman. MacKenzie earned himself the first star of the game on Wednesday with another 2 point effort to go with a +4 rating in the game. He’s now posted 10 points over his 5 game point streak, doubling his season total to 20 points at this time. He’s been everything at once: steady, dangerous, and electric.
Ethan Simcoe - I could have placed any of the other point streak players in this position, but in all honesty it couldn’t have been anyone other than Simcoe. The second-year netminder is playing (and winning) games at a high level right now and making absolutely ridiculous saves while doing so. Wednesday was a perfect example of this as Simcoe displayed a willingness to do whatever it takes to make a save. A bad bounce off the end boards saw a Rebels player with a wide-open net to shoot at, until Simcoe came flying back into the picture to make the WHL Save of the Night. He sprawled out and made a couple more saves to keep the puck out, before Noa Ta’amu blocked a final attempt at the net and the puck ended up out of play. With Snell searching for his rhythm, the crease belongs to Simcoe until someone takes it from him.
Off The Throne
Players that are struggling through a rough patch, on a cold streak, or possibly battling the puck at times will be viewed as being Off The Throne.
Matt Williams - The 17 year old forward was called up before Saturday’s game against Medicine Hat. He played in each of the last 3 games, looking like a steady depth player each game, finishing with 0 points, 4 shots on goal, an Even plus-minus rating, and winning 12 of 23 Faceoffs. Unfortunately, he finds himself off the throne as he is heading back to the AJHL to rejoin the Whitecourt Wolverines this weekend.
Injuries - Injuries are also an unfortunate guest at the table. Luke Powell remains out with an upper-body issue, while Dylan Dean and Parker Alcos missed Wednesday’s game without update. With a long road swing ahead, the team will be hoping for good news soon.
At the Gate
Who is the man standing between the pipes, the soldier standing between the opponent’s hopes and dreams? The man in the mask, and heavy padding, is the man At the Gate. This is our section where we will look at the starting goaltenders.
Simcoe is On The Throne, so that should say all it needs to say about the man At The Gate right now. He has started both games against Medicine Hat so far, and looked great in both only giving up 4 goals total. He came in for Snell and got the W in the comeback on Sunday, and held court on Wednesday to stifle the Rebels offensive weapons.
This would have been a planned Snell start in the rotation that has been in place all season in the Oil Kings net, but given a 4-game winning streak and a rubber match against a team that Simcoe just held to 1 goal on Saturday, I’d think Coach Gator should be in a position to ride his hot hand for this one. There will be plenty of opportunities for Snell to get his groove back on the upcoming road trip, but this one feels like it should have Simcoe’s name on it.
The Roil Ledger
How well do the Oil Kings match up with their opponents? How have they fared against them in recent seasons? Is there a lot of red in that ledger, or have the results been more positive? We’ll take a look at recent history and notable stats between the two teams.
Edmonton is making its second trip of the season to Medicine Hat, and 3rd overall game against the Tigers this year. They lost 5-3 in Medicine Hat on October 8th, in a game that was 3-2 before a couple empty net goals put it out of reach late. Edmonton then won 6-1 at home this past Saturday, in a game that was heavily dominated throughout by the Oil Kings as they stifled every weapon in the Tigers toolbox and scored almost at will against one of the top teams in the league.
The Oil Kings are currently 46-56-4-10 all-time against the team from The Hat, with a 21-29-2-6 record in games played in The Hat. Edmonton will look to continue to climb that record closer towards an even split, while looking to put even more distance between themselves and the Tigers in the standings. The current win streak has Edmonton sitting 6 points ahead of Medicine Hat for 1st in the Central Division.
The Threats Beyond the Wall
What awaits the Oil Kings on the other side of the ice? Who should they be keeping an eye on? How has the opponent stacked up around the league? We’ll be looking at the players to watch, those high on prospect draft boards, and the ones already drafted by NHL teams. The team’s place in the standings, win or loss streaks, and other important information to prime everyone to be ready for the opposition.
Medicine Hat had been rolling steady all season, until they hit a wall in Edmonton last Saturday. They entered Rogers Place only 1 point back of the Oil Kings for 1st in the Eastern Conference, now less than a week later they are suddenly 6 points back and in a 3-way tie with Calgary and Saskatoon at 22 points. They will be hungry to get back in the win column after dropping 2-in-a-row.
Sunday afternoon saw the Tigers aware their Player of the Month award for September/October, and it went to forward Misha Volotovskii who contributed 8 goals and 6 assists for 14 points through the opening month of the season. He has been held off the score sheet so far in November, however, so keep a close eye on him tonight as a weapon for the other side. He did score the eventual Game-winning goal the last time Edmonton visited The Hat.
Markus and Liam Ruck have been held scoreless through 6 periods against Edmonton, which is a testament to how much respect the Oil Kings have shown for the abilities of the Tiger Twins. Edmonton will be looking to complete the trifecta by shutting down such a potent duo for a third straight game, but with players that talented they can’t let the defense slip. Another strong showing will be in order.
With the only goal for the Tigers on Saturday, Jonas Woo now has 2 goals and 1 assist through the 2 games against the Oil Kings. He added 2 goals and another assist on Sunday to put himself on a 2 game point streak, and one of the hottest players on the team right now. The 2006-born defender will celebrate his 19th birthday in a couple weeks, but Edmonton can’t let him get that party started at their expense. Staying aware of where he is on the ice should be a key item to watch for tonight.
Center Kadon McCann assisted that goal on Saturday to bring himself to 3 assists through the first 2 matchups. He’s the only other player to have points for Medicine Hat in both games against Edmonton so far, so another key piece to be aware of. His position on the team is a little deeper down the depth chart, but he’s shown some skill and a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
Goaltender Jordan Switzer has played the entirety of the 2 games against Edmonton, and has stopped 48 of 56 shots in those games. He is the Tigers #1 Guy, and I don’t foresee them making any changes in net for this rematch.
It’s a quick detour down Highway 1 to Medicine Hat, and then the boys hit the road to head out west. The Oil Kings have been the ones turning up the heat lately, but Medicine Hat’s got plenty of fire in the basement. The Tigers are angry, the crowd will be loud, and the Roil are walking straight into the furnace. All hell for a basement, indeed.
You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio. Puck Drop is at 7pm local Medicine Hat time. The next game will be Tuesday Afternoon as the Oil Kings make a stop in Kamloops for a Remembrance Day matchup with the Kamloops Blazers. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!