GDB #5

Oil Kings (4 1-1-1-1) vs Kootenay Ice (5 3-1-0-1)

The Oil Kings return home for a single game tonight against the Kootenay Ice.  Edmonton is coming off a shootout loss in Medicine Hat on Saturday night.  The Kings dominated the early going in the Gas City building up a 3-0 second period lead before running into penalty trouble which allowed the Tigers to claw back.  In the end the Tigers enjoyed 9 powerplay opportunities to Edmonton's 1 and were able to rally and keep the Kings winless in the arena.  


Tonight the Oil Kings are looking for their second victory of the young season and it will be a stiff test against the defending Western Hockey League Champions.  Kootenay won all six matchups last season with Edmonton managing a single point.  

Players to watch: 

Photo: Marissa Baecker/Getty Images

Edmonton:  Griffen Reinhart.  One of the three Reinart brothers in the game.  Griffen is off to a solid start to the season with a pair of assists and is plus 2 in the four games and seems to raise his level when he matches up against his brothers.  Reinhart is in his draft eligible season and many have him pegged as a possible top ten pick come June.

Photo: KootenayIce.net

Kootenay: Max Reinhart, the oldest of the trio of WHL Reinhart brothers is a third round pick of the Calgary Flames.  Reinhart is back after a longlook at Flames camp which included suiting up against the Oilers at Rexall Place.  He has 4 points in 3 games since returning to the Ice lineup.

Last Year:

The Ice got the better of the Kings as mentioned above.  The games for the most part were tight affairs before the Ice closed them out.  Kootenay is looking to replace the scoring of departed 20 year olds Kevin King (Syracuse AHL) and Matt Fraser (Texas AHL) as well as trade deadline acquisition Cody Eakin (Washington NHL).

Leaders:

Goals

EDM- Martin Gernat (3) 

KTY- Adam Rossignol (3)

Points

EDM- Gernat (7)
KTY- Joey Leach (6)

Pregame show at 6:45, the puck drops at 7:00 on the Team 1260.

Drafted: EDM- Mark Pysyk-Buffalo Sabres (1st Round, 2010), Kristians Pelss- Edmonton Oilers (7th, 2010), Keegan Lowe- Carolina Hurricanes (3rd, 2011), Travis Ewanyk- Oilers (3rd, 2011), Michael St. Croix- New York Rangers (4th, 2011), Martin Gernat- Oilers (5th, 2011), Laurent Brossoit- Calgary Flames (6th, 2011)


KTY- Max Reinhart- Flames (3rd, 2010), Drew Czerwonka- Oilers (6th, 2010), Nathan Lieuwen- Sabres (6th, 2011)


Notes:  The Oil Kings have acquired 20 year old centre Jordan Peddle from Swift Current in exchange for 20 year old netminder Jon Groenheyde.  Peddle will make his Kings debut wearing number 17 tonight.  The third Reinhart brother, Sam, scored a goal in his WHL debut last season against the Oil Kings in Cranbrook.  The Oil Kings hit the road tomorrow afternoon in preparation for their 5 game trip.