Oil Kings Open Road Trip With 3-2 Loss

Prince Albert, SK – The Edmonton Oil Kings started their six-game road trip with a 3-2 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night, despite jumping out to a 2-0 advantage after the first period. 

With the Canadian Finals Rodeo set to take over Rexall Place, the Oil Kings are on the road for half a dozen games. The trip started out quite positively, as Henrik Samuelsson and Dylan Wruck each found the back of the net in the opening 20 minutes, but the Raiders replied with three unanswered goals to post the come-from-behind victory. The Oil Kings' record drops to 9-4-1-2 while the Raiders hold on to first place in the Eastern Conference at 11-4-0-2.

Jonas Knutsen tallied the game-winner for the Raiders, as his wrist shot from just over the blue line eluded goalie Tristan Jarry, who made 26 saves between the Oil Kings pipes and saw his record fall to 3-3-0-0. His Prince Albert counterpart Luke Siemens saved his best stops for last, stacking the pads to rob Michael St. Croix and Cody Corbett on scoring chances late in the game. 

Newly acquired Oil Kings defenceman David Musil made his debut with his new team on Friday and finished the game +1 with zero points, partnered with Keegan Lowe on the Edmonton blue line. St. Croix's assist on Wruck's goal gave him 23 points on the season to lead the Oil Kings.

The Oil Kings head south to Swift Current to continue their road trip against the Broncos on Saturday at 7pm. Edmonton then travels across their home province to B.C. to play the Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday and Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday. They finish the trip in Prince George for games against the Cougars next Friday and Saturday. 

The Oil Kings will return to home ice at Rexall Place on Saturday, Nov. 17 as they host the Raiders for their third meeting of the 2012-13 season. Back by popular demand, the Oil Kings will once again give away 1,000 WHL Championship replica rings. All fans at the game will be eligible to receive a ring, since scratch-and-win tickets will be used to determine the winners.

Tickets are available at OILKINGS.CA, at the Rexall Place Box Office or at Ticketmaster outlets. For more information on season seats or flex packs, call 780-414-GOAL (4625). All games this season will be broadcast live on the TEAM 1260 and streamed live at WHL.ca. The Oil Kings 2012-13 season is presented by JLT, Insurance & Risk Management.

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FIRST PERIOD

0:00 – The Oil Kings start Tristan Jarry between the pipes, Griffin Reinhart and Cody Corbett on defence, and the forward line of Travis Ewanyk, Mitch Moroz and Klarc Wilson up front. The newest Oil Kings defenceman David Musil will be paired with Keegan Lowe; both players' fathers are former Edmonton Oilers NHL blueliners. 

4:40 – Henrik Samuelsson makes it 1-0 Oil Kings early in the opening frame as he enters the Raiders zone, cuts to the centre of the high slot and rips a wrist shot through traffic over goalie Luke Siemens' shoulder. For Samuelsson, it's his ninth goal and 17th point of the season, while Travis Ewanyk picks up the lone assist on the opening goal for his sixth point of the season.

5:10 – Just 30 seconds after scoring the opening goal, Samuelsson is driven into the Raiders end boards from behind by Josh Morrissey. Edgars Kulda jumps in to defend his teammate and both Kulda and Morrissey are given minor penalties for roughing and boarding, respectively.

14:08 – The Oil Kings capitalize on a Raiders turnover and make it 2-0 in the latter minutes of the opening frame. Michael St. Croix intercepts a fanned-on Raiders pass and promptly slides a pass over to Dylan Wruck who beats Siemens for his fifth goal of the season. For St. Croix, it's his 13th assist and team-leading 23rd point.

17:42 – The rough play on Samuelsson continues as Harrison Ruopp is sent off for a check to the head on the Oil Kings forward, sending the visitors to the power play.

18:47 – Samuelsson exacts a little bit of revenge on the Raiders, taking a high-sticking double-minor penalty and creating a four-on-four situation for the Oil Kings and Raiders.

19:25 – Prince Albert's Anthony Bardaro slashes an Oil Kings player after the whistle, and Mitch Moroz drops his gloves and is ready to fight the Raiders forward, but the officials step in and prevent any further physicality. Bardaro goes off for slashing while Moroz takes an unsportmanlike conduct minor.

20:00 – Goals by Samulesson and Wruck have the Oil Kings up 2-0 on the Raiders through 20 minutes at the Art Hauser Centre. Edmonton leads shots 11-9 and will have to kill 2:47 of Samuelsson's penalty to start the middle frame.

SECOND PERIOD

0:18 – Cody Corbett takes a checking-from-behind penalty early in the middle frame, giving the Raiders a five-on-three power play. The Oil Kings weather the storm and maintain their 2-0 advantage.

7:56 – Chane Braid gets the Raiders on the board, cutting into the slot and sliding a low shot through the pads of Oil Kings goalie Tristan Jarry. The goal is unassisted and makes it 2-1 Edmonton.

10:04 – Brandon Baddock is sent off for elbowing, putting the Oil Kings back on the penalty kill, but they are successful in preventing a goal once again, extending their WHL best PK percentage well over 90% on the season.

13:30 – Bardaro is sent to the sin big again, getting two minutes for hooking, and though the Oil Kings have multiple scoring opportunities they are unable to convert and the score remains 2-1 Edmonton.

16:30 – The Oil Kings survive a big scare as the Raiders burst in on a two-man breakaway against Jarry but their shot misses the net wide.

20:00 – At the end of 40 minutes, the Oil Kings maintain their 2-1 lead thanks to Wruck and Samuelsson's goals, while Braid has the lone Raiders goal. Edmonton leads shots 24-19 (13-10 in the second period).

THIRD PERIOD

0:32 – Prince Albert's Zach Hodder hauls down Edmonton's Edgars Kulda and is sent off for tripping. Ruopp levels the Oil Kings' T.J. Foster early in the power play and the Raiders kill off the rest of their penalty.

3:19 – Following a point shot by Sawyer Lange, Bardaro turns and fires a low shot past Jarry from the slot to tie the game at 2-2.

13:32 – The Raiders score their third straight goal as Jonas Knutsen skates over the blue line and unleashes a wrist shot that beats Jarry to give the home side their first lead of the game, 3-2.

17:05 – A fantastic tic-tac-toe passing play from Foster to Wruck to St. Croix is foiled as Siemens stacks his pads and stones St. Croix on the doorstep, preserving the Raiders' 3-2 lead late in the third period.

19:58 – With the Oil Kings net empty in favour of the extra attacker, Cody Corbett steps into a loose puck in the dying seconds, but Siemens slides across the crease and stacks his pads once again to solidify the 3-2 victory for the Raiders.

20:00 – The Oil Kings finish the game ahead in shots 39-29, but they can't bounce back after surrendering three straight goals and start their road trip with a loss.