Okotoks is in the middle of the only mystery left in the BCHL Alberta Division postseason race.
With three of the five spots locked up ahead of the inaugural playoff, the race is on for the third seed with the Okotoks Oilers and Blackfalds Bulldogs separated by one point with two weekends left in the regular season.
“It’s a pretty big last four games,” said Oilers captain Dean Spak. “Wherever we finish, we’re just going to keep trying our best, practising hard and being ready for whatever challenge we’ve got.”
Okotoks is one point back and has four games remaining with Blackfalds only boasting three on the docket.
The BCHL Alberta Division playoff format will see the top three teams earn a bye through the play-in round which will pit fourth and fifth seeds.
Both AJHL and BCHL games played during the 2023-24 season count towards the standings.
Brooks has locked up the top spot, the Sherwood Park Crusaders will finish second and the Spruce Grove Saints will finish as the fifth seed and are guaranteed to be in the play-in round.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs climbed in front of Okotoks with a comeback 2-1 win at the Centennial Arenas.
“They’re pretty similar to us, they play fast, shoot the puck a lot, they have good special teams,” Spak said. “They’re fun hockey games, it’s always close, we go 6-on-5 against them, one or the other, pretty much every game.”
Brett Wilson provided the lone goal in a dominant 19-shot opening frame for the Oil who were carrying the play before the visitors struck for two late second period goals through Carter Cormier and Brendan Ross.
It’s the second game in as many weekends where Okotoks has heavily outshoot Blackfalds yet ended up on the wrong end of the result.
“We’re just going to go back to the drawing board,” Spak said. “I think we’ve been dominating games and we’re super happy with the way we’ve been playing and the bounces just aren’t going our way.
“It’s just finding ways to score on (Gabe Gratton) and finding a bit more offence.”
The Oilers opened the weekend with an old-fashioned barnburner in an 8-5 triumph over the visiting Spruce Grove Saints on March 22.
Spak and fellow 2003-born skater Kade Turner led the attack with two-goal performances with Wilson, Sam Huck, Connor Gourley and Brody Maguire adding the other markers.
Okotoks (38-24-3) goes into the penultimate weekend of the regular season with a March 29 road date in Sherwood Park followed by a home tilt with Brooks on March 31, a 5:30 p.m. start.
“We’re hoping everything comes together now for playoffs,” Spak said. “We’re building towards this last little bit and last four games we’re going to focus on cleaning up all of the little details and ironing out the kinks.”
For more information, go to okotoksoilers.com.
