DRUMHELLER, AB (December 20, 2012) — Ethan Wood (Jasper, AB) stopped all 43 shots sent his way, and 3 more in the shootout, as the Fort McMurray Oil Barons (19-15-3) took a 1-0 shootout win over the Drumheller Dragons on the road Thursday night.
Former Dragon Doug Jones (Calgary, AB) came back to haunt his own team, scoring the only goal in the shootout as the team's first shooter, to give the MOB the win.
The scoreless deadlock occurred despite regular pressure from the Dragons; they outshot the Barons 16-9 in the first, and 15-5 in the second, but Wood stood tall, making several quick reaction deflection saves, and being bailed out by the post on a couple of opportunities from Drumheller leading scorer Ryan Bloom.
“I thought he played very well,” said head coach Gord Thibodeau of Wood. “He didn't get a lot of help, and there were some instances when he was strong; I thought in the first he gave up a few rebounds, after that, though, he was pretty solid. Just a good overall effort by him.”
“I didn't think we skated very well,” said Thibodeau of the rest of the team. “I thought a lot of forwards were pedestrian tonight.”
It looked like another former Dragon, in Barons forward Mike Marianchuk (Innisfail, AB), would end the game with seconds left in overtime, but his backhander from the slot was deflected wide by a Dragon defender to send the game to the shootout.
“The first two shooters were, pretty much, the Drum boys,” said Thibodeau. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to try to win it in their old building, and had we gone to the third shooter we were likely looking at either Danny Gayle or [Adam] Durkee.”
In that extra frame, Jones' goal was preceded by an expert pad save on Dakota Zaharichuk by Wood.
“There's a couple kids I trained with that shot on me in the shootout,” revealed Wood. “I knew Zaharichuk, he was going to go five-hole the whole time, I just tried to fake him out with a fake poke check right away, and he bit.”
Jones then scored, and was followed up by another save by Wood on leading scorer Bloom.
Gord Thibodeau then turned back to Marianchuk, but his forehand shot was barely saved by goaltender Adam Beukeboom.
The pressure was on defenceman Brad Deagle, whose move to the right side of the net resulted in him losing control of the puck, and as it slid wide of the net, Wood emerged from the cage with his second junior A shutout intact, and a dramatic 1-0 win.
The Barons are back in action tomorrow night at the Edgeworth Centre to take on the Camrose Kodiaks, the #2 team in the South division.
Country 93.3 3 stars:
3. Doug Jones (shootout winner)
2. Adam Beukeboom (25 shot shutout)
1. Ethan Wood (43 shot shutout)