Advertisement 1

Edmonton Oil Kings fall to Canadian Hockey League top dog Winnipeg Ice

Article content

The biggest question at Rogers Place on Sunday was whether or not the Edmonton Oil Kings were witnessing their recent past or their distant future.

Article content
Article content

With the Winnipeg Ice in town and the Oil Kings wedged into rebuilding mode after winning the league championship, it was nothing short of the best vs. the worst the Western Hockey League has to offer this season.

The top spot in the standings versus the very bottom. First place overall versus 22nd of 22. Ninety-three points compared to 19. A league-best 254 goals-for compared to a league-low 107.

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

So, it was no surprise to anyone to see the Ice come out ahead, 8-1, in front of 6,464 on Sunday in the first of two back-to-back games against the Oil Kings, with the rematch coming on the big stage of Tuesday’s Hockey Hooky game, an annual game played in front of schools from across northern Alberta.

And the Oil Kings will look to make a lesson of their loss in the first game, using the educating experience to make for a friendlier report card Tuesday morning (11 a.m.).

“A learning experience, no question,” Oil Kings head coach Luke Pierce said on the team broadcast prior to Sunday’s puck drop. “Learning their habits of how hungry they are for the puck, that’s really important for our guys right now.”

It took Winnipeg 5:23 to put their first puck in the net — on just their second shot of the game — a cross-ice pass to the slot for team-leading point-scorer Zach Benson, who beat Kolby Hay with a wrist shot for his 31st goal of the season.

Benson struck again just 3:10 later, on a three-on-two where he simply decided to keep the puck and shoot it himself. And correctly so, sending another quick release at the right-wing hash marks that found the far corner on Hay.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

Oil Kings forward Mason Finley got in on a partial breakaway late in the opening period, but was foiled by some fancy stick work of back-checking Ice winger Ty Nash. Finley scored Edmonton’s lone goal against the Ice in the only previous meeting between these two teams in a 7-1 loss on the road Feb. 11.

With Winnipeg leading 22-5 in shots, Edmonton’s sixth of the game put them on the board with one second left on the clock, when Rilen Kovacevic took a drop pass on a three-on-two from Cole Miller and sent it top shelf.

That also made for 82 shots faced by Hay over a span of 40 minutes, going back to a 4-0 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night.

Benson then set up Conor Geekie with a pass from behind the net, to open second-period scoring with his 26th of the season to regain a two-goal lead, before completing the hat-trick at the very mid-mark of the game, this time short side from the left hash.

Zack Ostapchuk then cleaned up a goal-mouth scramble to make it 5-2 with his 42nd goal of the season as Edmonton gave up three goals without even registering a single shot in the period.

Geekie scored his second of the afternoon with a one-timer 8:31 into the third period, before potting a hat-trick of his own.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

Miles Cooper followed up with his first career WHL goal, before the Oil Kings’ Marshall Finnie and Winnipeg’s Ashton Cumby traded blows, with the Edmonton forward scoring the haymaker takedown.

Hay stopped 31 of 39 shots from Winnipeg, while Mason Beaupit stopped 14 of 15 in the win, which saw the Ice improve upon their league-best 47-7-1-0 record, while the Oil Kings fell to 8-45-3-0.

WHL’S LITTLEST HOBO?

As good as the Ice look on the ice, the club appears to be on some wobbly legs off of it.

Having already moved from Edmonton (1996) to Cranbrook, B.C. (Kootenay, 1998) before settling in the Manitoba capital ahead of the 2018-19 season, the Ice may find themselves unwelcome guests once again.

Postmedia Winnipeg columnist Paul Friesen has reported the Ice could be relocated because they’ve made no progress on a 4,500-seat arena they promised the WHL they’d build four years ago.

The Ice currently plays in the 1,600-seat Wayne Fleming Arena at the University of Manitoba, by far the WHL’s smallest rink.

The franchise’s move to Winnipeg from Cranbrook was approved on the condition the Ice construct a facility that met minimal league requirements within three years.

Neither the club nor the league have been keen to speak publicly on the topic.

IN AND OUT

Cole Miller left for the Oil Kings locker-room with training staff in tow late in the second period.

Next up: The Oil Kings face the Ice in a rematch Tuesday (11 a.m.) during the annual Hockey Hooky game.

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    universo-virtual.com
    buytrendz.net
    thisforall.net
    benchpressgains.com
    qthzb.com
    mindhunter9.com
    dwjqp1.com
    secure-signup.net
    ahaayy.com
    soxtry.com
    tressesindia.com
    puresybian.com
    krpano-chs.com
    cre8workshop.com
    hdkino.org
    peixun021.com
    qz786.com
    utahperformingartscenter.org
    maw-pr.com
    zaaksen.com
    ypxsptbfd7.com
    worldqrmconference.com
    shangyuwh.com
    eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
    playminecraftfreeonline.com
    trekvietnamtour.com
    your-business-articles.com
    essaywritingservice10.com
    hindusamaaj.com
    joggingvideo.com
    wandercoups.com
    onlinenewsofindia.com
    worldgraphic-team.com
    bnsrz.com
    wormblaster.net
    tongchengchuyange0004.com
    internetknowing.com
    breachurch.com
    peachesnginburlesque.com
    dataarchitectoo.com
    clientfunnelformula.com
    30pps.com
    cherylroll.com
    ks2252.com
    webmanicura.com
    osostore.com
    softsmob.com
    sofietsshotel.com
    facetorch.com
    nylawyerreview.com
    apapromotions.com
    shareparelli.com
    goeaglepointe.com
    thegreenmanpubphuket.com
    karotorossian.com
    publicsensor.com
    taiwandefence.com
    epcsur.com
    odskc.com
    inzziln.info
    leaiiln.info
    cq-oa.com
    dqtianshun.com
    southstills.com
    tvtv98.com
    thewellington-hotel.com
    bccaipiao.com
    colectoresindustrialesgs.com
    shenanddcg.com
    capriartfilmfestival.com
    replicabreitlingsale.com
    thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
    gkmcww.com
    mbnkbj.com
    andrewbrennandesign.com
    cod54.com
    luobinzhang.com
    bartoysdirect.com
    taquerialoscompadresdc.com
    aaoodln.info
    amcckln.info
    drvrnln.info
    dwabmln.info
    fcsjoln.info
    hlonxln.info
    kcmeiln.info
    kplrrln.info
    fatcatoons.com
    91guoys.com
    signupforfreehosting.com
    faithfirst.net
    zjyc28.com
    tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
    nhuan6.com
    oldgardensflowers.com
    lightupthefloor.com
    bahamamamas-stjohns.com
    ly2818.com
    905onthebay.com
    fonemenu.com
    notanothermovie.com
    ukrainehighclassescort.com
    meincmagazine.com
    av-5858.com
    yallerdawg.com
    donkeythemovie.com
    corporatehospitalitygroup.com
    boboyy88.com
    miteinander-lernen.com
    dannayconsulting.com
    officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
    forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
    generictadalafil-canada.net
    guitarlessonseastlondon.com
    lesliesrestaurants.com
    mattyno9.com
    nri-homeloans.com
    rtgvisas-qatar.com
    salbutamolventolinonline.net
    sportsinjuries.info
    topsedu.xyz
    xmxm7.com
    x332.xyz
    sportstrainingblog.com
    autopartspares.com
    readguy.net
    soniasegreto.com
    bobbygdavis.com
    wedsna.com
    rgkntk.com
    bkkmarketplace.com
    zxqcwx.com
    breakupprogram.com
    boxcardc.com
    unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
    fabulousbookmark.com
    beat-the.com
    guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
    magie-marketing.com
    kingstonliteracy.com
    guitaraffinity.com
    eurelookinggoodapparel.com
    howtolosecheekfat.net
    marioncma.org
    oliviadavismusic.com
    shantelcampbellrealestate.com
    shopleborn13.com
    topindiafree.com
    v-visitors.net
    qazwsxedcokmijn.com
    parabis.net
    terriesandelin.com
    luxuryhomme.com
    studyexpanse.com
    ronoom.com
    djjky.com
    053hh.com
    originbluei.com
    baucishotel.com
    33kkn.com
    intrinsiqresearch.com
    mariaescort-kiev.com
    mymaguk.com
    sponsored4u.com
    crimsonclass.com
    bataillenavale.com
    searchtile.com
    ze-stribrnych-struh.com
    zenithalhype.com
    modalpkv.com
    bouisset-lafforgue.com
    useupload.com
    37r.net
    autoankauf-muenster.com
    bantinbongda.net
    bilgius.com
    brabustermagazine.com
    indigrow.org
    miicrosofts.net
    mysmiletravel.com
    selinasims.com
    spellcubesapp.com
    usa-faction.com
    snn01.com
    hope-kelley.com
    bancodeprofissionais.com
    zjccp99.com
    liturgycreator.com
    weedsmj.com
    majorelenco.com
    colcollect.com
    androidnews-jp.com
    hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
    dailyupdatez.com
    foodphotographyreviews.com
    cricutcom-setup.com
    chprowebdesign.com
    katyrealty-kanepa.com
    tasramar.com
    bilgipinari.org
    four-am.com
    indiarepublicday.com
    inquick-enbooks.com
    iracmpi.com
    kakaschoenen.com
    lsm99flash.com
    nana1255.com
    ngen-niagara.com
    technwzs.com
    virtualonlinecasino1345.com
    wallpapertop.net
    nova-click.com
    abeautifulcrazylife.com
    diggmobile.com
    denochemexicana.com
    eventhalfkg.com
    medcon-taiwan.com
    life-himawari.com
    myriamshomes.com
    nightmarevue.com
    allstarsru.com
    bestofthebuckeyestate.com
    bestofthefirststate.com
    bestwireless7.com
    declarationintermittent.com
    findhereall.com
    jingyou888.com
    lsm99deal.com
    lsm99galaxy.com
    moozatech.com
    nuagh.com
    patliyo.com
    philomenamagikz.net
    rckouba.net
    saturnunipessoallda.com
    tallahasseefrolics.com
    thematurehardcore.net
    totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
    velislavakaymakanova.com
    vermontenergetic.com
    sizam-design.com
    kakakpintar.com
    begorgeouslady.com
    1800birks4u.com
    2wheelstogo.com
    6strip4you.com
    bigdata-world.net
    emailandco.net
    gacapal.com
    jharpost.com
    krishnaastro.com
    lsm99credit.com
    mascalzonicampani.com
    sitemapxml.org
    thecityslums.net
    topagh.com
    flairnetwebdesign.com
    bangkaeair.com
    beneventocoupon.com
    noternet.org
    oqtive.com
    smilebrightrx.com
    decollage-etiquette.com
    1millionbestdownloads.com
    7658.info
    bidbass.com
    devlopworldtech.com
    digitalmarketingrajkot.com
    fluginfo.net
    naqlafshk.com
    passion-decouverte.com
    playsirius.com
    spacceleratorintl.com
    stikyballs.com
    top10way.com
    yokidsyogurt.com
    zszyhl.com
    16firthcrescent.com
    abogadolaboralistamd.com
    apk2wap.com
    aromacremeria.com
    banparacard.com
    bosmanraws.com
    businessproviderblog.com
    caltonosa.com
    calvaryrevivalchurch.org
    chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
    cheminotsgardcevennes.com
    cooksspot.com
    cqxzpt.com
    deesywig.com
    deltacartoonmaps.com
    despixelsetdeshommes.com
    duocoracaobrasileiro.com
    fareshopbd.com
    goodpainspills.com
    kobisitecdn.com
    makaigoods.com
    mgs1454.com
    piccadillyresidences.com
    radiolaondafresca.com
    rubendorf.com
    searchengineimprov.com
    sellmyhrvahome.com
    shugahouseessentials.com
    sonihullquad.com
    subtractkilos.com
    valeriekelmansky.com
    vipasdigitalmarketing.com
    voolivrerj.com
    zeelonggroup.com
    1015southrockhill.com
    10x10b.com
    111-online-casinos.com
    191cb.com
    3665arpentunitd.com
    aitesonics.com
    bag-shokunin.com
    brightotech.com
    communication-digitale-services.com
    covoakland.org
    dariaprimapack.com
    freefortniteaccountss.com
    gatebizglobal.com
    global1entertainmentnews.com
    greatytene.com
    hiroshiwakita.com
    iktodaypk.com
    jahatsakong.com
    meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
    newsbharati.net
    platinumstudiosdesign.com
    slotxogamesplay.com
    strikestaruk.com
    trucosdefortnite.com
    ufabetrune.com
    weddedtowhitmore.com
    12940brycecanyonunitb.com
    1311dietrichoaks.com
    2monarchtraceunit303.com
    601legendhill.com
    850elaine.com
    adieusolasomade.com
    andora-ke.com
    bestslotxogames.com
    cannagomcallen.com
    endlesslyhot.com
    iestpjva.com
    ouqprint.com
    pwmaplefest.com
    qtylmr.com
    rb88betting.com
    buscadogues.com
    1007macfm.com
    born-wild.com
    growthinvests.com
    promocode-casino.com
    proyectogalgoargentina.com
    wbthompson-art.com
    whitemountainwheels.com
    7thavehvl.com
    developmethis.com
    funkydogbowties.com
    travelodgegrandjunction.com
    gao-town.com
    globalmarketsuite.com
    blogshippo.com
    hdbka.com
    proboards67.com
    outletonline-michaelkors.com
    kalkis-research.com
    thuthuatit.net
    buckcash.com
    hollistercanada.com
    docterror.com
    asadart.com
    vmayke.org
    erwincomputers.com
    dirimart.org
    okkii.com
    loteriasdecehegin.com
    mountanalog.com
    healingtaobritain.com
    ttxmonitor.com
    bamthemes.com
    nwordpress.com
    11bolabonanza.com
    avgo.top