The Okotoks Oilers will have to wait for their first home victory of the season. Okotoks fell to 0-2-1 at Pason Centennial Arena this season with a 5-3 loss to the Drumheller Dragons on Thanksgiving Sunday. “There are maybe a couple guys getting frustrated, but they’re going to talk about it,” said Oilers head coach Tyler Deis. “It’s a long season, come together more as a group. There is a lot of potential with this team so it’s just coming together and figuring some stuff out.” The ongoing special teams struggles continue to dog the team, though the penalty kill is showing some strides of late. The Dragons scored once on seven powerplay opportunities while Okotoks was 0-for-7 on the man-advantage. “Our five-on-five play I thought was really good,” Deis said. “The special teams kind of hurt us and gave momentum to them and when you’re not doing a very good job on those special teams it can take a toll.” The Oilers looked to be headed for a celebratory Thanksgiving in the early going. Zane Kindrachuk lit the lamp just 74 seconds from puck-drop on a rebound in front of the Dragons goal. Drumheller bounced back in short order through diminutive dynamo Jordan Taupert and took over the opening frame with a heavy fore-check. Okotoks took back the lead early in the middle frame as Quinn Olson pulled off an ankle-breaking deke before setting up Dylan Holloway for a one-time finish. Drumheller struck back through Roc Truman on the powerplay and took its first lead of the game through Brayden Nicholetts with 3:32 left in the period. Okotokian Gibb Coady notched his first goal of the season 5:50 into the final stanza only to have the Dragons once again steal momentum when captain Marcus Boguslavsky tallied on the next shift, just 28 seconds later. Taupert added the empty netter to seal the result while Turner Valley’s Hunter Virostek made 23 saves to pick up the win for the visitors. “I think it’s guys trying to do too much here and there. It’s relaxing, making sure we do work hard and we don’t get away from our identity,” Deis said. “Our commitment (in the defensive zone) has to be a lot better. We’ve got to be committed there, we’ve got some guys that are maybe taking it for granted and leaving a little early and not helping out. “We’ve got to be a little more committed.” Okotoks busted out of a four-game winless streak on the road on Friday in dramatic fashion, spoiling the Canmore Eagles home opener in a 7-6 overtime triumph. Olson scored twice, including the game winner just 26 seconds into the extra-session, Holloway, Kindrachuk, Jack Works, Carson Dyck and Blake Wells scored while captain Kyle Gordon contributed four assists. “We just didn’t give up,” Deis said. “We had some adversity and we had a good comeback and guys just kept coming and it worked out.” Okotoks gave the division leading Brooks Bandits a stiff test in a 3-2 loss on Thanksgiving Monday at the Centennial Regional Arena. Kindrachuk and Marc Pasemko scored for the visitors. The Oilers stay home this weekend for divisional meetings with the Calgary Canucks and Olds Grizzlys on Oct. 12-13, both games are 7 p.m. starts. “We’re not having the success that we’ve had at home and it’s a long season,” Deis said. “We’ve just got to learn from what we’re doing and be better.” For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca
