Oil Kings 5 Rebels 0
Special teams buried the Red Deer Rebels Friday night in Edmonton.
Less than a week after their penalty kill was the difference in a 5-1 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, it couldn’t contain the high-flying Edmonton Oil Kings.
The Oil Kings rolled to their fifth straight victory in the abbreviated 24-game WHL season, scoring three times on the man-advantage in a 5-0 victory.
Red Deer was short-handed seven times, missed on all three of their own power-play chances and played from behind the entire night in the loss at the Edmonton Community Arena.
“I thought it was undisciplined hockey. We took seven minor penalties in the first two periods. That’s just ridiculous. Sixteen minor penalties in the last two games. It’s crazy,” said Rebels GM/ head coach Brent Sutter.
“Penalties that we can’t take. Good teams will tear you apart with that. Their power play was good and our penalty killing wasn’t. Our power play didn’t give us anything. Really, special teams were the difference… taking that many minor penalties in games is getting out of hand.”
Oil Kings forward Josh Williams had a hat trick, including a pair of power-play tallies – the first just 88 seconds into the game and his second, a laser of a one-timer in the middle frame.
His first power-play goal came on a Jaxen Wiebe hit from behind penalty just 27 seconds into the game and the other was after a Rebels too-many-men penalty early in the second period.
“You keep harping on the guys and talking to them about it but just senseless penalties that you can’t afford to take. They’re killers,” Sutter said.
The Central division’s leading scorer Dylan Guenther added two goals and assist in the victory.
Oil Kings goalie Sebastian Cossa earned the shutout with 33 saves and Ethan Anders finished with 32 saves.
With the loss, Red Deer falls to 2-4-2 on the year. Friday was Edmonton’s eighth straight win over the Rebels, dating back to last season.
The Rebels and Oil Kings will face off again Saturday night at the Westerner Park Centrium, before rounding out the weekend with a game in Edmonton Sunday.