The Fort McMurray Oil Barons went the distance in both of their games this weekend as they stretched the number 1 ranked team in the country the Sherwood Park Crusaders to their first shootout of the year before taking the Lloydminster Bobcats to a shootout the following night.
The Crusaders were able to squeak out the 5-4 win Friday night at the Casman Centre over the MOB (19-34-4), picking up their franchise record 45th win of the season. On Saturday the MOB and Bobcats stayed dead locked at 1-1 until the MOB were able to take it 2-1 in a shootout.
The Barons chased the high flying Crusaders (45-8-0) all evening but everytime the Cru jumped in front, the MOB had an answer to get back in the game.
Arjun Atwal opened the scoring 1:25 into the game as the Crusaders captain scored on the first shot of the game. The MOB tied things up at 11:26 of the period when Ethan Jones found Hunter Lamb in front of the Crusaders goal and he tucked the puck around Carter Gylander’s leg.
A late powerplay goal from Carter Savoie put the visitor’s up 2-1 after 20 minutes. Savoie leads the AJHL in goals with 49.
The Barons would tie the game 2-2 when Brendan Stafford’s shot hit Michael Hodge in the leg and deflected into the goal 2:33 into the second period.
“I really saw a big change this week, even in practice they’re extremely focused and they’re starting to believe in themselves and they’re starting to understand some of the reads and concepts that we’re trying to get across,” said MOB Head Coach Gord Thibodeau. “I really like the way we’re playing, I like the style of game we’re playing, we’re physical, we had 14 hits in the first period and we came out and competed right away and that’s what you have to do against good clubs.”
The Crusaders would jump out to a 4-2 lead after a powerplay goal from Michael Benning and a goal from William Zapernik off a three-on-two rush.
The Oil Barons kept it close with a late goal to end the period from Kabore Dunn to head into the final frame down a goal.
With eight minutes remaining, Hunter Lamb stripped the puck as the Crusaders tried to clear their zone. He spotted Konrad Belcourt jumping in from the right point and the captain buried his 6th of the year to tie the game 4-4.
“Picks a good time to jump into the rush there and he yelled for the puck which was key and then you have to bury it when you get that chance and he did that,” said Thibodeau on Belcourt’s game tying goal.
With the game tied after regulation, the MOB became the first team this season to push the Crusaders to extra time. The Cru outshot the MOB 4-0 in overtime and 39-22 in the game but Evan Fradette stood tall to force a shootout.
Atwal and Zapernick scored for the Cru while Josh Zinger got the lone goal for the MOB as the Crusaders survived a scare and came away with the 5-4 win
“I was really pleased with our effort. I thought we worked hard and we did a lot of good things overall on the night. It’s hard to contain that amount of skill that they have,” said Thibodeau. “You know that you’re not going to be able to shut it down you just have to hope it’s manageable and I thought we did a good job of managing some very good players on that squad.”
On Saturday against the Bobcats (9-39-6), the two teams traded late goals in the first period. After Ty Mosimann struck first for the Bobcats, the MOB worked the puck around the Lloydminster zone with the final seconds ticking down. Lamb dished a pass to Dunn in the slot who found Hodge on the back door to bury his 29th goal of the season.
Hodge now has goals in three straight games and seven in his last ten games to go along with 13 points. As for his running mate Hunter Lamb, he has a season high six game point/assist streak with three goals and nine assists for 12 points.
The final 40 minutes solved nothing and neither did overtime and for a second straight night the MOB went to a shootout. Hodge and Breydon Berthold scored for the MOB and Fradette stopped two of three Bobcats to give the Barons the 2-1 win.
“They (the Bobcats) played a good road game and we kind of fell into that trap but we talked heading into the third period and said find a way and we did,” said Thibodeau on picking up the two points.
After a big weekend the Oil Barons now find themselves one point back of the Grande Prairie Storm (18-29-7) for 6th place in the North Division. The MOB will take on the Storm Friday night at the Casmen Centre with a chance to jump in front of the Storm who have lost 11 straight games. The Storm will play three games after they meet the MOB so the Barons will have to wait and see who their first round opponent will be if they take two points in their final regular season game.
“You can’t finesse your way to an opponent, the hockey gods have a way of making you pay for that so you play it out and if we win great and if we don’t then that’s just the way it is and the next day you look at the standings and see who you’re going to face,” said Thibodeau.
