The Fort McMurray Oil Barons held a three goal lead after two periods but the Lloydminster Bobcats are a team that never quits and they gave the MOB a scare Friday night in the third period but the MOB were able to hang on for the 3-2 win.
The win put the MOB (7-4-1) back in the win column after dropping all three games on the road last week and extended the Bobcats (3-8-1) losing streak to four games.
“Getting the two points was huge but we have to learn when we have a team down, we have to bury them,” said MOB Assistant Coach Dave Dupas. “We had chances to put them away but we took our foot off the gas a little bit and this is a team that just keeps coming and coming and they got one and they were energized.”
The Bobcats got two quick goals to start the third period from Hunter Lamb and Zach Kaiser 40 seconds apart to cut the MOB lead to one. Chris Curr shut the door the rest of the way in the MOB goal making 31 saves in the win.
The Barons started the game well as they opened the scoring 15:26 into the first period when Reed Morison knocked down a puck along the boards and fed Kole Gable in the corner. The Fort McMurrayite beat Curtis Meger short side up over the shoulder to give him goals in three straight games.
The MOB added to their lead 2:42 into the second period when Brendan Stafford hit Sean McCloskey flying down the left wing. The defenceman spotted Nicholas McCarry coming in late. McCarry one-timed the pass into the bottom right corner for his first career AJHL goal.
“He’s a skilled guy and I think he’s just going to keep getting better. He wants the puck, he’s a confident kid,” said Dupas on McCarry. “We see him in practice and he has really good skills, he has a good shot and it was nice to see him get a goal here tonight because he works hard and he creates some things and he sets up his teammates and gets himself into spots but the pucks just weren’t going in for him.”
Just over a minute later, a Bobcats turnover in centre ice led to a two-on-one for the MOB. Jack Hamly dished to Liam Izyk before Izyk returned the favour and Hamly tapped in his first goal of the season. A sigh of relief for the 20 year old as he leapt into the boards after breaking his 10 game goalless drought to begin the year.
Hamly’s goal would stand up as the game winner after the pair of Bobcats third period goals.
The two teams will meet again Saturday night at the Casman Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
MOB Assistant Coach Dave Dupas on the Country 93.3 post-game show.
Written by: Taylor Pope, mymcmurray.com
Photo by: Dan Lines