The Oil Kings are back in action Wednesday after a wild weekend of games that came with everything you could possibly imagine. A 6-1 masterclass effort against a top-notch Medicine Hat Tigers team on Saturday, with 3 powerplay goals, that fell only 10 minutes shy of a shutout against one of the top Eastern Conference teams. This was followed by a massive 8-4 comeback victory against the Swift Current Broncos on Sunday, as the Oil Kings battled back from being down 4-1 after the first period to double up on the Broncos and claim the victory in a very heated contest.
Saturday afternoon, the kids took over Rogers Place gameday operations, and the Oil Kings took over on the ice. It was one of the most flawless performances we’ve seen all season as the home team controlled the scoreboard, the faceoffs, and the special teams battles throughout. Perhaps most impressively, they managed to keep both Ruck twins off the scoreboard for the second time this season as the Tigers top players have not been able to find any success against Edmonton.
Sunday afternoon, the Oil Kings looked like they came in unprepared for a lower-ranked Broncos team after riding so high against the top-tier Tigers offense. Some unlucky bounces, and shaky goaltending from Parker Snell saw the Broncos jump out to an early lead before Simcoe took over in net for Snell, and shut things down defensively. A comeback powered through 5 points by Max Curran saw a frustrated Broncos team taking irresponsible penalties, cheap shots, and defensive lapses all over the ice.
Another edition of Wiener Wednesday this week will see the Red Deer Rebels making their return to Rogers Place ice for the second time this year, and first since the opening weekend of the season. The Oil Kings will go on the road for nearly the rest of November, so wrapping up this stretch of home games with another win will go a long way to building momentum for the trip.
With 22 Goals For over the last 3 games, some massive hits, big fights, and a powerplay firing at over 33% through the last week, it feels safe to say that this team is firing on all cylinders right now. Now the Rebels roll into town, with an impressively low 3 Goals Against per game so far this year. Can the Oil Kings keep the goal-scoring train rolling at home?
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.
Landon Hanson - One week ago, I raised some concerns about how Hanson’s season had been going up to that point. Here we stand today, and he turned it around with an absolute monster week and showed again why I was so high on him coming into the season. Hanson scored the first goal of the game in each of the Oil Kings 3 games this week. He added another goal and an assist over the weekend to bring his total to 5 points through 3 games over the last week. In addition, he threw a massive clean hit in the 3rd period on Sunday that unfortunately ended up injuring Swift Current forward Jayden Oleskiw in what ended up being a scary moment in The Kingdom. Luckily Oleskiw did manage to get off the ice with help from his teammates, but Hanson had to answer for the hit in the form of a mugging by Sawyer Dingman, and then squaring up for a fair fight with the Broncos’ Carter Moen before all was said and done. A trio of opening goals, a tone-setting big hit, and a Gordie Howe Hat Trick make this a solid week for the 19-year-old.
Max Curran - Speaking of players having ridiculous weeks, may I direct your attention to the WHL’s Player of the Week for last week. Curran was unstoppable and a key contributor in all 3 Oil Kings victories with 3 assists in Lethbridge, a goal and an assist against Medicine Hat, and then topping off his week with a remarkable 5 point effort in the comeback against Swift Current on Sunday. Edmonton scored 22 goals this week, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect contributed on 10 of those, and scored a 3rd and a 1st Star nod along the way. What Curran did last week it what the “on the Throne” feature is all about.
Ethan MacKenzie - There’s a plethora of other names that could have found themselves on the throne right now. With the offense being as abundant as it has been there are plenty of active scoring streaks on the go. Ethan MacKenzie, despite not being among the goal scorers, finds himself on the longest active scoring streak on the team at 4 games now. With 7 assists through his last 4 games, Ethan has shown his tremendous playmaking ability in being able to see the game and developing plays in the moment. With the puck on his stick, he’s becoming one of the most exciting defensemen to watch as you never know what he’s going to do next. From Orr-like end-to-end rushes up the middle, to skating circles around opponents in their own zone, MacKenzie makes every shift exciting.
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.
Parker Snell - There’s no way around this after being pulled only 11 minutes into Sunday’s game against one of the league’s weakest offenses. Snell allowed 3 goals on only 8 shots, and found himself yielding the crease to Simcoe after back-to-back short-side snipes managed to elude him. After what was a superhuman statistical start to his career, Snell has fell back to Earth hard. His Save percentage has been on a steady decline ever since the shutout victory in Brandon a month ago, and hit an all-time low on Sunday. There’s still plenty to be excited about with the rookie, and this team has hung him out to dry a time or two, but it looks like this slump has him shaken and he needs to have one of those games where he can shake it off and start to rebuild that confidence that he started the year with.
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.
The goaltending decision for this game may be the first time all season it is a true question mark of what Jason Smith will do with his crease. With the rotation that has been on the go, this would be Ethan Simcoe’s scheduled night to start, and he very likely could get the call to go again with how well he’s been playing lately.
Alternatively, Simcoe has just played nearly 110 minutes altogether over this weekend back-to-back and has earned himself the right to a rest. Parker Snell had one of his best performances of the season against these same Rebels in Edmonton back in September, allowing only 1 goal on 21 shots. Could this be a strategic opportunity for Smith to get the young netminder back in the win column, or does Coach Gator opt for the safe choice in this one?
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.
The Rebels make their second trip of the year to Edmonton for their third matchup against the Oil Kings this year. Edmonton won those first two games by scores of 4-2 and 4-1, and sit with a 2-0-0-0 record against their central division rivals to start the year.
With those 2 victories, the Oil Kings moved their all time record against Red Deer to an impressive 68-47-7-7 with an even 34 wins each at home and away. Luke Powell and Dylan Dean each provided 2 goals over that opening weekend, meanwhile Talon Brigley and Beckett Hamilton each provided 2 assists for Red Deer.
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.
Red Deer’s year has not really got off to the start they would have hoped for. After dropping their opening 2 games to Edmonton they took a Win over Lethbridge before losing 4 straight. Another win against Lethbridge, and then 3 more losses. They’ve picked up wins over Regina and Swift Current after starting 2-8 in their first 10 games, and lost a couple tight games in extra time, to bring themselves back to 5-9-0-2 on the season. Today will mark their 17th game, officially hitting the one-quarter mark on the WHL Season.
Considering the year Red Deer has been having it is unsurprising that they enter tonight’s game with the longest point streak on the team being only at 2 games. Center Samuel Drancak has goals in 2 straight, and 3 points overall in those games, and will be looking to keep his streak growing against Edmonton. He did have one goal in the last game in Edmonton and is the one to watch tonight. He has played in all 16 games for the Rebels this season, and has 9 points (4G, 5A) to his credit.
While Drancak leads the Rebels centers, he’s surrounded by a plethora of highly talented forwards who handle most of the scoring responsibilities. Talon Brigley, Ty Coupland, Matthew Gard and rookie Landon MacSwain share the team lead with 5 goals each, while Beckett Hamilton and Jaxon Fuder each have 12 points. This team may be struggling to find the scoreboard consistently this year, but their offensive attack is a very evenly talented group capable of sharing the responsibility up and down the lineup on any night.
Red Deer is not the kind of team where you can try to shut down one line and succeed at restricting the whole team. The Oil Kings will be looking for a complete game effort to repeat the results from opening weekend against this same Rebels team.
Defensively, Red Deer is led by leading point scorer Keith McInnis (4G, 9A for 13 Pts) who has been extremely impressive in his first season in the WHL. Arriving from the Brooks Bandits as a 19 year old, he looks like a player who should have been playing at this level all along and possibly the Rebels MVP for the 1st quarter of the year. His biggest threat comes on the powerplay, where he has 4 of his points so far, but he’s also a big body and not afraid to stand up to anyone getting in front of his goaltenders.
Let’s also not forget about the massive hit that Jake Missura laid on Landon Hanson in Red Reed on opening night. Brady Craik took his pound of flesh in return, but this memory should serve that the 5’11 defender is not a pushover. He’s had a rough statistical season with only 1 assist and a -8 while playing through all 16 games, but his value isn’t on the score sheet. He’s a defender who plays tough in the corners and makes life difficult for opposing players.
This week, Red Deer shook up the league with a blockbuster trade that sent waves through the community. Goaltender Chase Wutzke (3rd round pick, Minnesota Wild) had been the undisputed starter for this Rebels team since returning from NHL Training Camp. He’d played in 9 games and had been highly regarded for his performance in Minnesota before returning to Red Deer. On November 2nd, Wutzke was traded from the Rebels to the Moose Jaw Warriors for 5 future draft picks. A move that signifies that Red Deer has their eyes on the future.
That future will likely include the suspected new #1 goalie in Red Deer, Matthew Kondro. He has been stellar in his 4 appearances so far, holding a 2.46 GAA and a 0.922 Sv% with a 2-1-0-1 record. That lone 1 in the Loss column, of course, came in the Oil Kings home opener back on September 20th. Wednesday night in Edmonton should be the start of his time as the #1 Guy, and an opportunity for him to correct the lone blemish on his record so far.
Wiener Wednesday in The Kingdom means your chance for another round of $2 hot dogs, and a battle with the rival Rebels of Red Deer is always an entertaining time on the ice. Can the Oil Kings keep their goal-scoring and winning ways going, or will they be stifled by a young and hungry Edmonton-born goalie looking for some revenge in his hometown? You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio. Tickets are still available to join the fun at Rogers Place live! Puck Drop is at 7pm local Edmonton time. The next game will be Friday Night in Medicine Hat as the Oil Kings head down to take on the Tigers for the third time this year. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!