Edmonton Oil Kings

Oil Kings Drop Shootout Decision To Red Deer

February 28, 2010

Edmonton, AB - The Edmonton Oil Kings earned a hard fought point, dropping a 4-3 shootout loss to the Red Deer Rebels on a Celebrity Saturday featuring former Oil King and current Oilers Head Coach Pat Quinn. The Oil Kings opened the scoring on a first period power play goal from Michael St. Croix, but the Rebels answered with second period markers from Cullen Morin, Landon Ferraro and Willie Coetzee to take a 3-1 lead into the third. Michael Burns cut the lead to one, setting the stage for Sebastien Svendsen's heroics with 52.7 seconds remaining. With goaltender Cam Lanigan on the bench for a sixth attacker, St. Croix found a streaking Svendsen in the slot, who buried it with a hard wrist shot to the corner past Rebels netminder Kraymer Barnstable for the game-tying goal. Overtime would solve nothing. Landon Ferraro scored the lone goal in the shootout to give Red Deer the victory.

Head Coach Steve Pleau says they'll continue to work on the shootout, where the Oil Kings have struggled with a 1-9 record. "I thought Garry Nunn made a nice move, but we have to do a better a job reading the goalie and forcing him to make a good save. I liked our first period. I liked our third period. In the second period, we had tendencies to get cute and I don't know if that's a young team or if that's just a team that presses at times but we let them take over the game. It was a good comeback though."

Pleau was pleased with the play of his Danish rookie Svendsen. "I always love his energy. We talked before the game and I didn't think he had that energy last night and he played hard tonight. He's a fun guy to watch because he puts it out every shift. Since he's come over, he's made a huge difference in our hockey club."

Svendsen is hoping for another opportunity to end the Oil Kings' shootout woes. "I haven't been too lucky on my two shootouts. I like to go on the backhand and then back to the forehand and shoot but I fanned on it again. That's what happened and I hope I get another chance to put it in."

The Oil Kings return to action Wednesday at home against the Kootenay Ice. It's another Wiener Wednesday at Rexall Place with $2 hot dogs. Plenty of good seats are available at any Ticketmaster location, online at oilkings.ca, or by calling 780-414-GOAL(4625).

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