An important weekend split and the Oil Barons find themselves in sole possession of third place of the North Division. Cole Brown and Leo Adams had goals in back to back games, Justin Dumais put up four points on the weekend, while Nathan Claydon earned his third win in a Fort McMurray uniform.
Fort McMurray found themselves behind the eight ball early on Saturday and were never able to fully recover. Whitecourt scored a couple of power-play goals to stake themselves a 2-0. Jalen Bianchet got his league leading 34th goal of the season, while Kyle Tucker snapped home his 16th. However, late in the first period, the MOB would get on the board. A shot from Ethan Makokis was turned aside by Elliott Pratt, before Leo Adams stuffed home the rebound for his 10th marker of the campaign. The Wolverines quick strike offence went to work midway through the second period. Intense pressure in Fort McMurray’s end saw Tristan Slywka make it 3-1 Wolverines, before Brendan Ruskowski quickly scored to extend that lead to 4-1. Give the Oil Barons credit, they did not fold. A Justin Dumais centering feed went off a defender and in to cut the Whitecourt lead in half. Then in the third period, Carter Ellsworth, with a beautiful individual effort, set up Cole Brown for his second goal of the year. Fort McMurray pressed and almost tied the game late, while shorthanded, but they fell just short.
The Oil Barons got to a better start on Sunday and they dictated their style of play against the Wolverines. Leo Adams opened the scoring with a power-play goal. Justin Dumais found him for a tap-in, allowing Adams to pick up his 11th goal of the season. Whitecourt did respond late in the first period. On an odd man rush, Jalen Bianchet slipped a shot through the five hole of Nathan Claydon, knotting the game at 1-1. Early in the second, the Wolverines took their lone lead of the day. The puck bounced to Bianchet, who wired a shot through Claydon for his league leading 36th goal of the season. But the MOB charged back, wrestling momentum in their favor. A highlight reel goal from Cole Brown tied the game at two. The Langley, BC product split the defence, before faking a shot to the backhand and tucking it around the pad of Elliott Pratt. Then, Evan Benoit put the Oil Barons in front. The rookie from Calgary stepped off the left wing, cut across the crease and snapped the shot top shelf, for his ninth goal of the season. Whitecourt pressed for an equalizer in the third period, but two posts denied them another goal in the game. Fort McMurray got some insurance late in the game on another power-play goal. Dumais carried the puck down the left wing and fired from a sharp angle, beating Pratt. Drew Freer iced it with an empty net goal and the Oil Barons got a major victory over a northern rival.
Fort McMurray wraps up the three game road trip with a massive showdown in Lloydminster. The battle in the Border City takes place on Friday night, puck drop is at 7pm.
