Oil Kings can't overcome early three-goal deficit

Goals by Wyatt Johnson, Turner Elson and Mat Dumba in the first 5:37 put the Edmonton Oil Kings in a deep 3-0 hole. And while the home side rallied to make a game of it, firing 56 shots on Rebels goaltender Bolton Pouliot, it was too much to overcome as Red Deer escaped Rexall Place with a 5-3 win Thursday night.

HIGHLIGHTS & POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

FIRST PERIOD

20:00: Tristan Jarry gets the start in goal for the Oil Kings. In 14 appearances this season, Jarry has posted a 1.62 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. Curtis Lazar, Dylan Wruck and Henrik Samuelsson start up front, while Cody Corbett and Keegan Lowe will patrol the blue line on the opening shift.

18:42: 1-0 Rebels. Wyatt Johnson bursts down the wing and beats the recently-recalled Aaron Irving clean. With a lane to the net, Johnson's inside-out deke fooled Jarry as he slipped the puck short-side on the Rebels' first shot.

16:30: 2-0 Rebels. A long-range point shot is knocked down by Cody Corbett at the doorstep, but the Rebels' leading-scorer, Turner Elson, was quick to scene as he popped the rebound past a stunned Jarry.

With the Oil Kings in a deep 2-0 hole (7-1 in shots), Laurent Brossoit came in to relieve his shelled teammate. But it was only a brief appearance, as Jarry came back in after Brossoit faced one shot.

15:28: In his first game in over a month and a half, Travis Ewanyk gets flagged for roughing. Just 1:05 into the power-play, Rebels defenceman Mat Dumba rifled a seeing-eye point shot that careened in off Brossoit's blocker-side post and in. It's now 3-0 Rebels as they lead 12-1 in shots.

11:44: With the locals in need of a strong shift to turn the tide, Edmonton Oilers prospects Ewanyk and Mitch Moroz drove hard to the net in effort to generate a scoring chance -- and while they were unable to do so, Moroz helped draw a penalty as Kayle Doetzel was assessed a holding minor.

9:26: Just as the penalty expired, Stephane Legault sifted a pretty feed to a streaking Ewanyk down the middle. No. 21 raced in alone on Bolton Pouliot, but the netminder came up a flashy glove save to preserve the 3-0 lead.

7:43: GOAL! Moroz, St. Croix and TJ Foster sustain pressure in the Rebels' end for nearly a minute. As a result, the exhausted defence turn the puck over to Foster who snaps a quick shot on goal; St. Croix, wandering through the slot, gets a piece of it en route to secure the goal for the home side.

4:53: Edmonton goes on its second power-play of the night as Rebels winger Joel Hamilton gets sent off for delay of game. At this point, the Oil Kings have gone on a 12-1 run in shots and have evened up the tally.

1:24: GOAL! Just after dishing out a huge hit on Brady Gaudet, Samuelsson cuts down the far side and delivers a pass to the crease area. With Pouliot well out of position, Ewanyk escaped his check and punched the puck into the open cage.

0:00: After a sluggish start, the Oil Kings rally back and are within one at the intermission. Edmonton leads 17-14 in shots.

SECOND PERIOD

20:00: The second period is now underway.

16:33: 4-2 Rebels. Oil Kings defenceman Stephen Shmoorkoff has his pocket picked by Rhyse Dieno, who dished to Brooks Maxwell at the lip of the crease. He made no mistake, easily popping the puck into the open net.

16:05: Red Deer's Scott Feser gets called for goaltender interference, putting the Oil Kings on their third power-play chance of the evening. The home side was unable to generate a shot on it, however.

12:45: Stephane Legault gets a great chance as he walks in alone right down main street, but his attempt is snared by the 'tender.

10:50: Brandon Baddock and Red Deer's Cody Thiel exchange punches but can't break free from the linesmen -- both are sent off for roughing.

8:24: After cutting across the crease and unintentionally running the goaltender, Keegan Lowe is challenged by Turner Elson. In a highly-spirited tilt that ended up near the centre ice faceoff dot, Lowe and Elson exchanged blow after blow in what press box experts have deemed a draw.

Fighting majors were assessed to both players, while Lowe picked up an extra two for goaltender interference -- the original call.

7:16: Taking a feed from Mat Dumba on the far side, Dominik Volek launches a wrist shot that catches iron behind Jarry.

4:05: St. Croix spots Foster alone in the slot, but his one-time attempt is emphatically denied by a rectionary left pad save by Pouliot.

3:42: GOAL! Foster makes no mistake this time, slamming a rebound into the gaping cage past the outstretched (and helpless) Red Deer goaltender. Once again, the Oil Kings have clawed back to stay in this one, now leading 35-29 in shots.

0:00: Finding themselves in a similar situation to the first, the Oil Kings will head into the third and final frame trailing by one. Shots on goal favour the home side, 37-33.

THIRD PERIOD

20:00: The third period is now underway.

17:53: Klarc Wilson is charged with boarding after crunching Gaudet with a violent (but seemingly clean) hit behind the Red Deer net. After Jarry bailed his team out with several five-bell saves, Curtis Lazar raced back with a prime shorthanded opportunity, but his backhand try was gobbled up by Pouliot.

15:23: Just as Wilson's penalty expired, but he was interfered with by Kevin Pochuk. As a result, the Oil Kings had another chance to equalize with a power-play opportunity. Shots by Samuelsson, St. Croix and Lazar kept Pouliot busy, but the Oil Kings couldn't quite cash.

9:33: Edmonton has neared the 50-shot mark, but the end-to-end pace is quickly eating up the clock.

8:30: Brooks Maxwell drags down Keegan Lowe with a rough horse-collar tackle, drawing a holding minor and putting the Oil Kings back to the man-advantage. Late in the PP, the puck popped loose in the crease -- Legault, quick to pounce, poked at it in what appeared to be a sure goal, but Pouliot made a miraculous save to preserve his team's one-goal lead.

For the fifth time in the game, the Oil Kings' power-play came up empty.

3:37: Rushing back to do his part in breaking up a partial odd-man rush, Ewanyk picked up a slashing minor as he tried to tie up the stick of Maxwell. Wasting no time, Dumba rocketed a missile through Jarry to establish a 5-3 Rebels lead at

With the goal, Red Deer had scored twice on four power-play chances.

0:00: Edmonton had a late power-play chance, but it went for not once more as the Oil Kings dropped a 5-3 decision to Red Deer.