Fort McMurray is off to a slow start on their four game road trip. In their first games after a 13 day break, the Oil Barons dropped 5-2 and 4-2 decisions to the Calgary Canucks and Canmore Eagles, respectively. Vincent Filion gave his team a chance in both games, making save after save, while the third and fourth lines led the charge on offence.
The MOB got off to a sluggish start on Saturday against the Canucks. Getting outshot 16-4 in the first period, Fort McMurray only found themselves down 1-0, after a second effort by Rhys Jamieson. Filion showed no rust, as he made three brilliant saves to keep the game within reach. Calgary doubled their lead early in the second. On a 2-on-0 break, Bowden Singleton slipped the puck to Nathan Maloney for an easy tap-in. The Oil Barons received a response on the power-play. After Patani Mutambo stole a pass, he found Ryan Arnold, who’s centering feed careened off a defender and past Lukas Renaud to make it 2-1. The Canucks got the goal back on a power-play of their own. Entering the offensive zone with numbers, the puck came to Jayden Joly in the right face-off circle, and he snapped it past Filion to make it 3-1 heading into the intermission. Fort McMurray came out flying in the third period. A minute in, Griffin Gidney forced a turnover behind Calgary’s net and set-up Louis Charles Cunningham for a one-timer to the top corner, bringing the Oil Barons within one. The MOB pressed for an equalizer and came close on a power-play, where the puck landed on top of the Canucks’ net, but the Centennial Cup hosts sealed away the game with a pair of empty net goals, the first from Singleton and the second from David Byrne.
Fort McMurray found themselves behind the eight ball early again on Sunday in Canmore. 21 seconds into the game, Rhett Dekowny stormed into the offensive zone and fired a shot over the glove of Filion to open the scoring for the Eagles. The home side doubled their lead late in the first period. Owen Jones found Cohen Daoust, who out-waited Filion, slipping the puck around his left pad to make it 2-0 Canmore. Fort McMurray cut the lead in half early in the second period. Resetting in the neutral zone, Leo Adams charged down the left wing, unleashing a laser beam that beat Alex Scheiwiller, for Adam’s fifth goal of the season. However, Canmore restored their two goal lead with a power-play goal late in the frame. Ethan Look snapped a shot into the top corner, past a screened Filion, and Canmore entered the second intermission with a 3-1 lead. Fort McMurray got back within one goal midway through the third. After a massive hit from Cody Nordstrom, Alexis Beaulac released a shot from the blue-line that was stopped by Scheiwiller, before Mason Finley tucked home the rebound for his 10th goal of the year. The MOB almost tied the game during a mad scramble in the final minute of the game, but instead Canmore scored an empty net goal, courtesy of Daoust, and the Oil Barons dropped their second game in a row.
The road trip through southern Alberta continues for the Oil Barons. After a day off on Monday, Fort McMurray will battle the red hot Drumheller Dragons on Tuesday, before wrapping up the road trip on Wednesday in Camrose.
