(Photo supplied: Oil Barons players celebrate after a victory on home ice over the Lloydminster Bobcats on Mar. 27, 2015. DAN LINES | FORT MCMURRAY OIL BARONS)
The Fort McMurray Oil Barons begin their quest for the 2015 Gas Drive cup tonight.
They’ll host the first two games of their best-of-five series against the Sherwood Park Crusaders this evening at 8:00 p.m. at the Casman Centre.
The Oil Barons have not lost a series in the first round where they held home ice advantage since 2002, when they were beaten by the Grande Prairie Storm.
The Oil Barons finished fourth in the AJHL’s North division with a 31-23-6 record, while the Crusaders finished 4 points back, in fifth, at 28-25-7.
A six game season series was split between the two teams with the home side winning each game, the series also saw three shutouts over the six games.
The two teams last met in the post-season in 2012 when the MOB took a five game series over the Crusaders en route to a league final appearance.
Just three players remain from that series three years ago, MOB defenceman Will Tomchuck, and Crusaders Ryan Kruper and Stephen Shmookoff.
Forward Landon Welykholowa who was suspended for three games by the AJHL for a hit against Lloydminster on Saturday will be in the lineup tonight.
His suspension was overturned on appeal.
Both teams come into tonight’s game having struggled leading into the post-season.
The Oil Barons went 5-3-2 over their last ten games while the Crusaders were 6-4 over the same span.
The two clubs are closely matched sporting similar regular season records and production numbers, the Oil Barons scored 2.97 goals for per game (GFA) while allowing 2.92 goals against per game (GAA).
Sherwood Park produced 2.88 GFA, while allowing 2.93 GAA.
The Crusaders were 18-10-2 at home while seeing less favourable results on the road going 10-15-5 away from their home rink.
Similar numbers for the MOB who went 20-10-0 at the Casman while going 11-13-6 on the road.
Tickets are available at the Casman Centre box office, by phone at (780) 743-5509, or online at tickets.oilbarons.com, which now features a new ticketing system that allows online buyers to select their own seats.
Oil Barons season ticket holders will have until 5:00 p.m., the day before a playoff game to purchase their seats before they are released to the general public.
