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View Full Version : Oil Kings Playoff Dreams Come Down To Game 72



Hitmen1
03-15-2009, 08:54 AM
RED DEER, AB- One point and they are in.

The Edmonton Oil Kings missed a chance to clinch their first ever playoff berth in modern franchise history after losing 3-2 to the Red Deer Rebels Saturday night in their final road game of the regular season.

However, they will have one last chance to clinch eighth spot in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference after the Prince Albert Raiders lost 5-4 to the Saskatoon Blades to close out their season.

The Oil Kings have guaranteed themselves at least a chance to play in an one-game elimination in Prince Albert this Tuesday if necessary.

“Our third period and the fact that our other buddies (Prince Albert) lost is pretty positive for me right now,” said Oil Kings head coach Steve Pleau.

"It’s a lot to deal with (playoff race) and I thought our guys played with a high stress level for the first 40 minutes. In the third period, I just told them to go out and play and I thought we played pretty well."

The Oil Kings held a 1-0 lead after the first period, but Brennan Wray, Alex Petrovic and Landon Ferraro scored three unanswered goals to give Red Deer a 3-1 lead heading into the third period.

Red Deer outshot 23-11, and it was evident the Oil Kings were playing with a bucket of nerves as they tried desperately to clinch their first ever playoff berth.

“We got that first goal, and I was thinking we are the luckiest team in the world if we win this hockey game with that first goal. Because they were outplaying us at that point,” said Pleau.

“I think tonight will be a great experience for us. Even though it’s one game… tomorrow when we go into the game these guys can look back and say we can go out and play our game for the first couple shifts and not sit back and let the other team dictate the play.

“The atmosphere at Rexall is going to be fun. It’s what you want. If you told me Game 1 that Game 72 we’d be at home and one win we’d be in the playoffs, I’d take it in a second.”

Torrie Jung (20-19-3-5) was exceptional during the first 40 minutes as he held the Oil Kings in the game. He finished the game with 28 saves. As the Oil Kings poured it on in the third period, he came up with his biggest save of the game robbing Wray with a left pad save with just two minutes left.

The Rebels dictated the play to the Oil Kings in the second period, as they were outshot in the second period 10-5. They got some luck on Lee’s goal in the first period as his cross-ice pass was deflected by a Rebels defenceman and past Rebels goaltender Darcy Kuemper (20-25-1-7).

But their luck turned on them in the second period, in particular when Oil Kings forward Craig McCallum let a rocket go when he skated down the wing. His shot beat Kuemper, but rang off the cross-bar.

The Oil Kings outshot Red Deer 12-8 in the third period and T.J. Foster cut the Red Deer lead to just one at the 4:44 mark of the third. The 16-year-old scored his 9th goal of the season when he took a feed from Brent Raedeke and beat Kuemper.

The Oil Kings both their goals on the power play and finished the game 2 for 4.

Edmonton has a chance Sunday in no doubt their biggest game in franchise history when they play Red Deer in the second half of their home-and home series.

The Oil Kings want nothing more than to finish their regular season with a victory Sunday in what will be Fan Appreciation Day at Rexall Place. They don’t want it to come down to the potential of a one-game playoff in Prince Albert on Tuesday.

“It will be a fun challenge. You’ve got to be a winner and you got to think positively and you’ve got to think you got to win the hockey game,” said Pleau.

“We’ve done that for the most part of this year and we plan on having that mind- set when we go into tomorrow.”
A Great Opportunity (http://www.oilkings.ca/hm/inside.php?id=466)

Watching the game in Red Deer last night, I hope for the Oil Kings that they play for an entire 60 minutes, because last night in Red Deer, the Rebels were the better team for the first 40 minutes, a lot better. I was chatting with some Oil Kings in the intermission who seem to believe they could beat the Hitmen. I just laughed, so now I am hoping the Oil Kings make the playoffs. I would love a playoff series between the Hitmen and Kings so that it really starts to build the rivalry up between the 2 big markets in Alberta.

Tiger Trauma
03-15-2009, 01:59 PM
Exciting time of year, although i think the coaches would disagree and say its more nerve racking, haha.

Good luck to Edmonton. I hope they make it.

I wonder what the hockey critics would say if Edmonton lost, then the game vs P.A went to a shootout. So the last playoff position would be decided by a skills contest. Unless their are different rules for a tiebreaker game?

Tiger Trauma
03-15-2009, 04:55 PM
Exciting time of year, although i think the coaches would disagree and say its more nerve racking, haha.

Good luck to Edmonton. I hope they make it.

I wonder what the hockey critics would say if Edmonton lost, then the game vs P.A went to a shootout. So the last playoff position would be decided by a skills contest. Unless their are different rules for a tiebreaker game?

Game will not go to a shootout if tied. Heard the OIl Kings broadcaster say They keep playing until someone scores .

dagley
03-15-2009, 05:28 PM
I find it dumb how they play a tie breaker on Tuesday. Honestly, PA WON more games. But, thats just my logic.

Goonarsk
03-17-2009, 10:37 PM
But they still wound up with the same number of points, despite having less wins; I believe that it all boils down to the shootout. Edmonton lost 5 times in shootouts, PA once; the Raiders also picked up 6 of their wins via the shootout while Edmonton won just once. I think the rules have been created so that a team's playoff hopes don't come down to how well they did in a skills competition. Hockey's a team game, so it's best to determine who the last seed is in this scenario by having a tiebreaker. I'd probably feel different, however, if the Broncos ever wind up in the same situation as the Raiders.

Anyways, congrats Oil Kings on your win tonight... and now good luck against one of the best teams in the country.