CANMORE, AB (December 30, 2022) — In their first game since the Christmas break and final game before the New Year, the Okotoks Oilers (22-12-3) killed off 11 of 12 penalty kills in a call-filled affair, getting four goals from four different goal scorers en route to a 4-2 win over the Canmore Eagles on the road on Friday night.
The Oilers were outshot 12-4 at one point in the first period after being sent to 4 straight penalty kills to open the game, but outshot Canmore 13-0 the rest of the way in the first, and 41-22 the rest of the game, for a game total of 45-34 in a 31-save effort for goalie Parker Sawka (Cochrane, AB).
Okotoks broke through on a 5-on-3 power play of its own at 16:47 on a long range shot from Rylan Brown (Sherwood Park, AB), before Connor Gourley (Calgary, AB) tucked in a rebound shot on the ensuing 5-on-4 for a second straight special teams goal and a 2-0 lead.
A scoreless second gave way to a feisty third in which Sam Huck (Calgary, AB) gave the Oilers a 3-0 lead on a shot from the high slot at 8:03, but Canmore’s Kayden Smith scored back to back at 12:53 and 16:00 to make it a one-goal game. After hitting the post on a Gourley empty net try, the Eagles nonetheless took a late penalty to scurry their chances, and Nolan Flint (Beaverlodge, AB) scored an empty netter with 5 seconds left to notch the 4-2 final.
The Oilers will return to action in a week’s time on Friday in Blackfalds for the start of a home and home with the Bulldogs, the team closest to them in the South standings.