Fort McMurray wrapped up a three game week with a 4-2 triumph over the Devon Xtreme. Ryan Arnold had a pair of goals, Charles-Olivier Villeneuve extended his point streak to eight games and Vincent Filion made 29 saves in the win.
Devon opened the scoring two and a half minutes into the contest. Filion fanned on a clearing attempt and Jaxen Smyth poked home the loose puck into the empty net for the Xtreme’s teddy bear toss goal. The Oil Barons had to wait until late in the first period to tie up the hockey game. Griffin Gidney picked up the puck in the right faceoff circle and with a great individual effort, drove to the net and tucked a shot around the right pad of Preston Lewis. The MOB got their first lead of the game in the second period. While on the power-play, Ryan Arnold snapped a shot from the blueline that went top corner for his eighth goal of the season. But Devon responded less than four minutes later. Tyler Pretty led a two-on-one and found Xander Schulte, who made no mistake knotting the game up at 2-2. In the third period, the Oil Barons found another gear. After an extended amount of pressure, they found the back of the net. A blue-line wrist shot from Villeneuve was blocked and the puck slid to Drew Freer, who scored his third goal of the year, giving Fort McMurray a 3-2 lead. Arnold tallied an empty net goal for his second of the game, ninth of the season, and the MOB walked away with a 4-2 victory.
The Oil Barons are back in action on Thursday at Centerfire Place, when the Drumheller Dragons come to town. Puck drop is at 7:30pm.
