Their final overnight road trip perfectly underscored a season of highs and lows.
The Okotoks Jr. A Oilers showcased some good and some bad in splitting its two-game swing through the North Division with a dramatic shootout win over the Fort McMurray Oil Barons followed by a beat down at the hands of the Bonnyville Pontiacs.
Despite outshooting the Oil Barons by a 41-15 count, including a 23-shot second period, the Oilers need overtime to edge the hosts 3-2 on Friday night.
“If you don’t get two points in that game you’re really giving other teams an advantage because everyone else seems to be going in there and getting two points,” said Oilers head coach James Poole. “It would have been a wasted opportunity.”
Freshman forward Joe Karpyshyn potted his third of the season with rookie defenceman Travis Verveda slotting in his second marker both in the second period. MOB forward Jackson McKinstry scored late in the frame to force overtime and a shootout.
Braydon Jenkins, Trey Degraaf scored and captain Connor Chambers finally wrapped up the two points by converting in the seventh round of shots.
The green-and-gold failed to replicate the result on Sunday.
Okotoks took it on the chin in a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Bonnyville Pontiacs.
The Yaks spread out the offence with Chandler Klein, Derek Brown, Kyler Hehn and Bobby McMann all scoring even-strength markers.
Verveda added his second of the weekend in the second period for Okotoks’ only source of offence. The Oil managed just 16 shots on goal to the Yaks’ 39.
Okotoks finished the month with five wins in 11 games. The Oilers (26-21-2) are nine points clear of the Drumheller Dragons for third in the South Division and 10 points up on the slumping Canmore Eagles.
The sixth-seed Olds Grizzlys host the Oilers on Friday for the first of two matchups in Central Alberta in February. Should the playoffs start now, the Grizzlys and Oilers would meet in the first-round in what’s seemingly become an annual affair between the division foes.
Okotoks returns home on Saturday Feb. 6 to tackle the Spruce Grove Saints, the two-time defending league champion and runaway leaders of the North Division, for Pack the Rink Night at 7 p.m. at Pason Centennial Arena.
It’s going to be a tall order for the club with five regulars now sidelined with injury in defencemen Verveda, Carson Beers, Riley Mathies, as well as forwards Jordie Lawson and Nolan Thompson.
“We got hit with the injury bug after this road trip,” Poole added. “It’s going to be a couple APs and really asking some of our players that play lesser roles to really step up their game because Spruce Grove is the cream of the crop.”
Okotoks then makes a rare road trip to the south of the Foothills for a Calgary Mustangs home game hosted at High River’s Bob Snodgrass Recplex on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.
For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca
