The Okotoks Oilers didn’t allow their first chance to avenge a loss slip away as they put the boots to the Olds Grizzlys by a 5-0 score on Friday to earn a measure of redemption from a shootout loss to the visitors six days prior.
“We knew that we owed these guys one,” said Oilers defenceman Nick Blankenburg. “What happened last game was unacceptable for us and we knew we had to comeback and prove to them that last game was a fluke.”
The hosts left no room for doubt in the third meeting of the season between the South Divisional foes.
Austin Wong kick-started a memorable night with a one-timer in the slot on the powerplay opening the scoring midway through the opening frame.
The Harvard commit would double the lead on a snapper water bottle shot at even strength in period two to set a new career high with 11 goals.
Blankenburg got in on the offence, pinching in from the point and finding the back of the net from a bad angle to give the Oil a commanding 3-0 advantage through 40 minutes.
“We’re pretty excited to come in and battle back after last weekend,” Wong said. “We were up 2-0 last game and let them get back in and lost in the shootout. We were all reved up to go.”
Freshman Dylan Holloway added a powerplay marker and Wong completed his first career hat-trick on a set up from linemate Quinn Olson to round out the scoring.
Wong, the finisher on the line with wingers Olson and Kyle Gordon, has been feasting on opposition at Pason Centennial Arena with 8 of 12 goals scored on home ice.
“I’ve had multi-goal games before so at that point I wasn’t too desperate for a hat-trick,” Wong said. “It was getting a little chippy and just focused on keeping their score zero.
“When you play with guys like Olson and Gordon you’re going to get really good opportunities because they’re such great playmakers. It’s great, I’ve never had better linemates than them.”
At the other end of the ice Riley Morris, now fully back into the swing of things since returning from a two-month injury absence, made 21 saves to pick up his first shutout of the season.
“That’s what we always look for,” Blankenburg said on Friday. “Keep getting the two points every night and make sure we battle hard and out-work the other team.”
Okotoks wrapped up the weekend on neutral ground in a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Canucks Sunday in Strathmore.
Holloway and alternate captain Tanner Laderoute scored while Morris made 31 saves. The Calgarian is undefeated in six starts, posting a ridiculous .952 save percentage. Morris was named the AJHL’s Defensive Player of the Week in recognition of his stellar return in between the pipes. He stopped 73 of 75 shots while winning all three starts during the week.
The third-ranked nationally Okotoks squad was in Brooks on Nov. 21 for its fifth battle of the season with the Bandits, after the Wheel’s press time. The Oil (20-2-1) are home to the Bonnyville Pontiacs on Nov. 24 and close the week in Olds to battle the Grizz on Nov. 26.
Record Books
Okotoks Oilers defenceman Carson Beers can’t stop breaking club records. The fourth-year defenceman, who earlier this month set the franchise games played mark, is now Okotoks’ all-time assists leader with 92 to his name. Beers also passed Justin Daigle as the franchise points leader by defencemen with 123 and counting, good for seventh overall. He added to his exploits as the franchise penalty minutes leader. He surpassed Rhett Holland’s previous club best 431 PIM.
Four Oilers going West
The Okotoks Junior A Oilers will be well represented when Canada West picks its roster for the 2017 World Junior A Challenge.
Four members of the Oilers — defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker, forwards Blake Wells, Dylan Holloway and Austin Wong — earned invites to Canada West’s selection camp featuring 60 hopefuls from Dec. 2-5 at Calgary’s Markin MacPhail Centre.
The World Junior A Challenge runs Dec. 10-16 in Truro, Nova Scotia.
Bernard-Docker, the University of North Dakota commit, is enjoying a terrific sophomore season in Okotoks as a solid-as-a-rock blueliner. Wells, a rookie forward from Blackie, has provided a 200-foot game as a checking forward and penalty killer. Wong, who recently committed to Harvard University, is Okotoks’ leading goal scorer with 12 goals in 21 games.
Holloway is shooting for his second spot on a Canadian roster in as many months. The Bragg Creek native recently brought home silver from the World Under 17 Hockey Challenge as a member of Canada Red.
The Oilers’ four invitees is tied for the most by an Alberta Junior Hockey League team with the Spruce Grove Saints.
A total of 15 skaters from the AJHL earned invites to the camp.
