Story Coming In:
The Oil Barons took three of a possible six points on the road last week. Carter Schmidt led the way offensively, extending his point streak to eight games, Keenan Ingram now has points in five straight, while Simon Gaul put up four assists over his last two games. The MOB will need continued production from those three as they go up against an opponent they’ve struggled to score against. Continued success is also key for Fort McMurray as they near the end of the regular season. While they don’t know who they will face in the play in series, momentum will be key for the Oil Barons. With the penalty kill improving and the MOB finding ways to erase deficits, if the Oil Barons can win consistently heading into the playoffs, they could become an underdog team that could go deep in the postseason.
View From Whitecourt:
The Wolverines are the AJHL’s number one team in the standings. Having played fewer games than anyone else in the league, Whitecourt looks to extend their three point cushion on Bonnyville and lock up the franchise’s first AJHL regular season title. Leading the charge is Colby Browne and Travis Verbeek, both of whom are averaging over a point a game. Former Oil Baron Evan Arnold also has 15 points in the 10 games he’s played in since being acquired at the trade deadline. The biggest strength for the Wolverines is their defense. No team has given up fewer goals in the AJHL than Whitecourt, while they also boast the number one penalty kill unit in the league. With the ability to lean on any of the three goalies on their roster, Whitecourt is a difficult team for anyone to solve.
Stats Leaders For Fort McMurray:
Goals: Schmidt (20)
Assists: Lamanna (21)
Points: Schmidt (39)
PIM: Hoogendoorn (111)
Goalies: Nelson: 6-10-1-2, 4.03 GAA, 0.902%, 1 SO
Stewart: 3-6-0-0, 4.64 GAA, .879%
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