Oil Kings (6 3-1-1-1) vs Saskatoon Blades (5 4-1-0-0)
The Kings continue their road trip tonight in Saskatoon against the Blades. The Kings have won two straight, and have points in their last three games after a 3-1 victory last night in Moose Jaw. For the second game in a row the Oil Kings overcame a 1-0 deficit after 40 minutes to rally in the third period to beat the Warriors. Martin Gernat, once again led the way offensively tallying a pair of goals. Kristians Pelss scored the winner on a shorthanded breakaway. It was the first shorty of the year for Edmonton.
The Blades are off to a solid start to the season with a 4-1 record. The only blemish was a 6-0 loss to Brandon. Saskatoon swung a deal earlier this week, sending goaltender Adam Morrison and forward Levi Bews to Vancouver in exchange for former Oil King Michael Burns and defenseman Zach Hodder. The deal leaves former Lewiston MAINEiacs goalie Andrey Makarov as the #1 man.
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| Photo: Andy Devlin |
Edmonton: Dylan Wruck. The Saskatoon product led the Oil Kings last year with 38 goals and 78 points and earned himself a camp invite with the San Jose Sharks. Off to a slower pace this year with a goal and 3 points through 6 games, Wruck always seems to have a good night in his home-town. Look for him to be a force offensively, and as was proved last night with a big hit on Sam Fioretti, he can contribute at both ends of the ice.
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| Photo: Thescoutingreport.org |
Saskatoon: Duncan Siemens. The Colorado Avalanche liked Siemens enough to use their second first round pick at 11th overall to snag the Sherwood Park native. He was named the Blades captain after returning from NHL camp earlier this season. An all round defender who has 4 points so far this year, he put up 43 points and 121 PIMs last season in Toon Town.
Last Year:
The Kings were 0-4-0-0 against Saskatoon last year. The Blades were the top team last year in the WHL posting 56 wins and 115 points. Poised for a long playoff run they traded a large package of picks and prospects to Brandon to land Brayden Schenn. Ultimately it didn't work out as they were swept in the 2nd round of the playoffs by Kootenay.
The Kings were 0-4-0-0 against Saskatoon last year. The Blades were the top team last year in the WHL posting 56 wins and 115 points. Poised for a long playoff run they traded a large package of picks and prospects to Brandon to land Brayden Schenn. Ultimately it didn't work out as they were swept in the 2nd round of the playoffs by Kootenay.
Leaders:
Goals- EDM- Gernat (5)
SAS- Matej Stransky (5)
Points- EDM- Gernat (10)
SAS- Stransky, Jake Trask (10)
Drafted:
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)
SAS- Josh Nicholls- Toronto Maple Leafs (7th ‘10), Duncan Siemens- Colorado Avalanche (1st, ‘11), Darren Dietz- Montreal Canadiens (5th, ‘11), Darian Dziurzynski- Phoenix Coyotes (5th, ’11), Matej Stransky- Dallas Stars (6th,’11)
Notes: Defenceman Griffen Reinhart will not be in the Oil Kings lineup tonight as he continues to serve a suspension for a knee on knee hit in the Kootenay game. No official word on the length of the ban as of yet. The Oil Kings are looking for their first win over Saskatoon since September 25, 2009. Darian Dziurzynski returns to the Blades lineup after being reassigned by the Coyotes. He becomes the 4th 20 year old on the team.
