OIL KINGS TAKE ON WARRIORS – Curtis Lazar and the Edmonton Oil Kings (5-3-1-2) host Sam Fioretti and the Moose Jaw Warriors (5-4-0-1) for a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference championship series in Western Hockey League action on Friday night.
The Oil Kings are coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Wednesday night for their third straight defeat, and currently sit in second place in the Central Division. Edmonton’s penalty killing unit is operating at 89.8 per cent efficiency this season. Lazar has just one goal over his last eight games.
The Warriors topped the visiting Everett Silvertips 5-2 on Tuesday night for their fifth win on home ice this season. The Warriors have lost all three road games they have played this season. Fioretti shares the WHL lead in goals with 10 markers this season.
It’s the first meeting of the season between the Oil Kings and Warriors. The Oil Kings won three of four meetings versus the Warriors last season, and eliminated Moose Jaw in five games to win the 2012 Eastern Conference championship en route to the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
Elsewhere on Friday, Adam Lowry and the Swift Current Broncos (4-3-3-1) host Josh Nicholls and the Saskatoon Blades (5-7-0-0) for a meeting of East Division rivals.
The Broncos fell 3-1 to the visiting Everett Silvertips on Wednesday night for their second straight loss and their third setback in four games. Brent Benson will make his Broncos’ debut versus his former club. The Weyburn, SK, product is a former first-round pick of the Blades who put up 35 goals and 103 points in 206 career games in Saskatoon.
The Blades edged the visiting Tri-City Americans 3-2 in overtime on Wednesday night for their third win in a row and their first victory at home this season. Graeme Craig, a product of Red Deer, AB, was a third-round pick of the Broncos in 2007. He put up five goals and 25 points in exactly 200 career regular-season games for Swift Current.
In Lethbridge, AB, Jaimen Yakubowski and the Lethbridge Hurricanes (4-6-0-0) host Colin Smith and the Kamloops Blazers (10-0-0-1) on Friday night.
The Hurricanes posted a 6-1 victory over the visiting Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday night for their second victory over their last three games. Yakubowski sits in second on the Hurricanes in scoring with four goals and seven points.
The Blazers managed a 5-4 win in a shootout over the Oil Kings in Edmonton on Wednesday night for their eighth straight victory. The Blazers have outscored their opposition 50-23 through their first 11 games this season.
In Prince Albert, SK, Mark McNeill and the Prince Albert Raiders (7-2-0-2) host Josh Winquist and the Everett Silvertips (3-7-0-1) on Friday.
The Raiders suffered a 2-1 defeat in a shootout to the visiting Tri-City Americans on Wednesday night for their third straight defeat, but remain in first place in the East Division. The Raiders’ power play is clicking at just 9.5 per cent efficiency at home.
The Silvertips skated to a 3-1 win over the Broncos in Swift Current on Wednesday night to improve to 2-2 through the first four games of their East Division tour. All three of the ‘Tips’ wins this season have come on the road.
In Red Deer, AB, Mathew Dumba and the Red Deer Rebels (5-7-0-1) host Brock Montgomery and the Kootenay Ice (3-5-0-0) for the first of two weekend meetings between the teams.
The Rebels were shut out 4-0 by the visiting Kamloops Blazers on Tuesday night for their second straight loss, and currently sit in third place in the Central Division. The Rebels have won just one of their first four games at home.
The Ice have been idle since last Sunday’s 1-0 shutout win over the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings for their second straight victory. Montgomery leads the Ice with seven goals and 10 points this season.
In Regina, SK, Dyson Stevenson and the Regina Pats (5-5-1-0) host Connor Rankin and the Tri-City Americans (7-3-1-1) on Friday.
The Pats have been off since edging the visiting Everett Silvertips 4-3 last Saturday for their fourth home-ice win of the season. Stevenson is tied for third on the team in scoring with four goals and nine points.
The Americans dropped a 3-2 decision in overtime to the Blades in Saskatoon on Wednesday night, snapping their four-game winning streak. Rankin has scored in each of his last four games, and now has five goals on the season.
In Spokane, WA, Brenden Kichton and the Spokane Chiefs (6-3-0-0) take on Luke Lockhart and the Seattle Thunderbirds (5-3-0-0) for the second straight meeting between the U.S. Division rivals.
The Chiefs fell 6-4 to the T-Birds on Tuesday in Kent, WA, for their second loss over their last three outings. Kichton has points in seven of his last eight games.
The Thunderbirds earned their third straight win with Tuesday’s victory over the Chiefs, but currently sit in fourth place in the U.S. Division. Lockhart leads the T-Birds with five goals this season.
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