The Oil Barons split a two game set with the Drumheller Dragons at Centerfire Place. Fort McMurray claimed a 5-2 win on Thursday, before falling 6-4 on Friday. Ryan Arnold got his 100th career point as part of a five point weekend, Danny Akkouche and Leo Adams had three point weekends, while Cody Nordstrom found the back of the net for the first time in his career.
The MOB played a complete game on Thursday to improve their record to 14-14-1-1. Danny Akkouche led the charge with a pair of goals, Ryan Arnold and Leo Adams also had a two point night, while Vincent Filion stopped 29 of 31 shots on goal. A disallowed goal against Drumheller kept the game scoreless until the Oil Barons broke the deadlock late in the first period. A wrist shot from Patani Mutambo floated past a screened Matthew Kondro, for Mutambo’s first goal on home ice and third of the season. About 90 seconds later Fort McMurray doubled their advantage. Leo Adams stepped out from the end boards and banked a shot off the skate of Danny Akkouche through Kondro to make it 2-0 Oil Barons. The Dragons broke the goose egg in the second period after a penalty shot was called against the Oil Barons, who had a defender cover up the puck in the crease with their glove. Ayden Peters sniped a shot off the post and in, and the MOB lead was cut in half to 2-1. It would take Fort McMurray 23 seconds to respond. After blocking a shot, Carter Schmidt sped away on a breakaway, slipping a shot through the five hole of Kondro, restoring the Oil Barons two goal lead. A chippy second concluded with a power-play goal from Fort McMurray. Justin Dumais slid a pass to the left wing for Ryan Arnold, and the veteran forward backhanded home his 10th goal of the season to make it 4-1 Oil Barons. The third period saw the MOB continue to pull away. Arnold fed a pass in front for Akkouche, where the Oil Baron captain snuck a shot, short side on Kondro for his team leading 12th goal of the season. The Dragons got one goal back courtesy of Jarred Feist, but the MOB walked away with a 5-2 victory.
Friday saw the two teams play out a wild back and forth affair. Drumheller opened the scoring a minute into the contest. Louis Nadeau threw a puck in front which bounced off an Oil Baron, past Filion, for Nadeau’s first career AJHL goal. The MOB tied the game about halfway through the first period. Leo Adams pushed the puck to the right wing for Ryan Arnold, and the veteran snapped a shot, short side on Matthew Kondro. Shortly after, the Dragons restored their lead. Tate Yule stormed down the left wing and picked the top corner on Filion for his first goal of the year. The Oil Barons tied the game at 2-2, courtesy of a milestone marker. While on a 5-on-3 power-play, Arnold unleashed a one timer that found the back of the net for his 100th career point. Another milestone gave Fort McMurray a 3-2 lead early in the second period. Cody Nordstrom released a wrist shot from the blue-line that pinballed off a couple of Dragons and through the five hole of Kondro. It was Nordstrom’s first career AJHL goal in his third season, as he celebrated with his overjoyed teammates. Drumheller fought back in the second period. Easton Daneault beat Filion with a one-timer on the power-play to tie the game at 3-3. Then Ayden Peters was left alone in front of Fort McMurray’s net, and his 12th goal of the year gave the Dragons a 4-3 lead heading into the second intermission. The Oil Barons equalized the game in third. Charles-Olivier Villeneuve forced a turnover in the offensive zone before picking out Justin Dumais in the slot. The man from Longueuil, Quebec sniped the top corner making it a 4-4 game. Drumheller got the last laugh. On another power-play the Dragons got the puck to Jase Johnstone, who stepped into the slot, snapping a shot past Filion to give Drumheller a lead they wouldn’t give up. Bradley Gallo scored an empty net goal, and the Dragons got a split at Centerfire Place with a 6-4 victory.
Fort McMurray will wrap up their pre-Christmas schedule next week, when they hit the road. The Oil Barons will battle the Devon Xtreme on Friday, before their fourth meeting of the season against the Whitecourt Wolverines on Saturday.
