For the second time this season the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (10-2-0) and Drumheller Dragons (3-5-3) needed overtime to decide a winner. Curtis Roach played the hero Saturday night as he fired a shot off the post and in on a powerplay 3:18 into the extra frame to give the MOB a 4-3 win and extend their win streak to six games.
“I was going to feed Cox back door again, we got a good opportunity off the first time and the guy (Dragons player) took away the passing lane and I just floated it in and it happened to go into the net,” said Roach on his winning goal. “I couldn’t be more happy right now.”
The win puts the Barons in a three way tie for first place in the North Division with Bonnyville and Spruce Grove with 20 points. The win was also the Barons 10th of the season, matching their win total from a season ago.
Damon Porter opened the scoring at 9:25 of the first period when he wired a shot off the cross bar and in from the face-off circle for his fifth of the year.
The Barons took the lead into the dressing room but it quickly evaporated early in the second. The Dragons found the back of the net twice in a span of 13 seconds just over four minutes into the second to take a 2-1 lead. Joren Patenaude beat Forbes Ploszaj on a breakaway before Brady Risk slide a puck past the outstretched leg of the netminder.
Mid-way through the frame, Ryan Cox ripped a shot over the glove hand of Dane Dow to tie the game. The goal was Cox’s third in two games.
Brandon Ralph would give the MOB the lead 3:56 into the third period when he banged in a rebound. Roach and Cox drew the assists.
The Dragons never backed down and were able to hem the Barons in their own end before Blake Kleiner hammered a point shot past Ploszaj to tie the game 3-3 at 9:21.
Moments later, the Dragons broke away on a two on one. Evan Rochowiak fed Evan Tschumi who had a gapping 4×6 but Ploszaj dove across making the save of the season to keep the game tied.
“I thought he (Rochowiak) was going shot all the way,” said Ploszaj, “I had to dive because there’s noway I was getting there if I slid and I got it with my arm.”
The save sent the game to overtime and propelled the MOB to the win. Ploszaj stopped 18 of 21 shots faced and remains perfect at 5-0 this season.
Next up for the MOB is an afternoon contest with the Sherwood Park Crusaders Sunday. Puck drop is at 2:15 p.m. with the pre-game show beginning at 2:00 p.m. on Country 93.3.
Notes:
Ryan Cox has seven points in his last three games. Cox has 14 points in 12 games this season, he had 14 in 41 games last year for Spruce Grove. Brandon Ralph has a three game goal and point streak. The MOB captain has six points over that stretch. Damon Porter has four points in his last three games. Porter has nine points in 11 games this year, he had seven in 34 games in his rookie year with the MOB. JC Thivierge had his five game point streak snapped.
Written by: Taylor Pope, mymcmurray.com.