(Photo Supplied: Oil Barons goaltender Eric Szudor makes a save against Adam Tisdale of the Canmore Eagles in an 8-1 Oil Barons loss at the Casman Centre on November 13, 2015. Dan Lines / FORT MCMURRAY OIL BARONS)
AUDIO: Oil Barons Head Coach and General Manager Tom Keca discusses the loss in the audio below:
With 1,473 people in attendance the Oil Barons put forth one of their more disappointing efforts of the season in an 8-1 loss to the Canmore Eagles.
Although it was tough for the MOB to get anything going, especially in the first period finding themselves shorthanded five times.
“I want to comment on it? But does it does us any good? I just don’t understand how you can have seven power-plays to one power-play in a game where there was a lot of chippyness and all of that, I don’t know, I don’t get it,” said Oil Barons Head Coach Tom Keca during his post- game scrum, commenting on the job of referee Rob Cowan.
Keca was ejected from the game late in the second period.
Canmore outshot the Oil Barons 25-3 in the first period the MOB’s first shot on goal came from a clearing attempt on the penalty kill over 13 minutes into the game.
Ravi Dattani got the yank 3:09 into the second period after Canmore’s fifth goal on 29 shots, most of them were no fault of Dattani’s. Although I’m sure he’d like Saretsky’s goal early in the first period back, a shot that simply trickled through his pads.
The Eagles also got goal scoring from Matt Forchuk who scored twice, Brett Radford, Coy Prevost, Cole Noble, Braiden Doucette, and Adam Tisdale also scored.
Eric Szudor allowed three goals on 13 shots in relief.
Landon Welykholowa scored the lone Oil Barons goal in the second period, a beautiful back hand effort, but it was the line of Lindsey MacLellan, Connor McCallum, and Dylan Rauh that was the most impressive last night.
“They were the only line that gave us a little bit of life, we don’t have a team that can afford not to work hard we’re not skilled enough. I don’t know whether our guys think that we’re skilled enough but we’re not, so when you don’t work hard what else are you really bringing to the table,” said Keca. “Unfortunately we’ve got a roster where if guys don’t work hard you ask yourself what else are we really able to contribute. It wasn’t fair to the home crowd to have an effort like that tonight.”
After an effort like last night, there could be a wind of change sweeping its way through the Oil Barons dressing room.
“We’ve got until December 1st and we’ve got enough cards where we’ve got to make some significant changes and I know that we’ve talked about it and we’ve tried to piece together one or two but maybe that isn’t good enough and we’re gonna have to do something.”
Keca also confirmed that the Oil Barons have had some talks with former goaltender Zach Fortin who was released by the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats earlier this week.
Kyler Newman left the game in the second period after taking a hard hit from Nicholas Wihak, Newman fell back and injured his right leg. As of last night it was a suspected broken ankle, although the MOB will wait for x-ray results to be sure. Newman was playing in just his sixth game of the year after missing 19 in a row due to a broken jaw.
The Oil Barons are off until Friday Nov. 20, when they host the first half of a double header against the Whitecourt Wolverines at 8 p.m.
