For the second game of their homestand, the Kootenay Ice got drilled 7-2 by the Edmonton Oil Kings.
“There’s not many takeaways, to be honest with you. We didn’t have our best effort,” said forward Brett Davis.
It’s been a week since both teams saw each other, where the Oil Kings won on Oct. 21, 6-3 at Rogers Place, so both teams were very familiar with each other.
Edmonton was able to get an early goal on the power play in the first. Ice defenceman Valtteri Kakkonen went to the box for high sticking, and with the Ice almost making it out Conner McDonald potted in a goal.
“I did not have these guys ready to play because the way we came out – the amount of battles we lost – they beat us in every aspect of the game,” said head coach James Patrick.
The Oil Kings would add to their lead with Scott Atkinson burying one behind Duncan McGovern, but they weren’t done. Three minutes left in the third, McGovern left a juicy rebound and Liam Keller was able to give the Oil Kings a 3-0 lead.
“We had a bad start, and that came back to bite us. If you have a bad start in this league and you go down a couple goals it’s going to be super tough to come back,” said Davis.
With less than a minute into the second period, Cameron Hausinger went to the box for tripping, the Oil Kings padded their lead even more with Quinn Benjafield getting on the board.
To add to the woes of the Ice, Carter Souch added to the lead to make it 5-0 mid-way in the second.
The Ice couldn’t get out of the third without Matthew Robertson giving the Oil Kings a 6-0 lead. That chased McGovern out of the net and Jesse Makaj came in s relief.
The Ice went into the third down 7-1 after a goal by Vladimir Alistrov, and a powerplay goal by Hausinger that got the Ice on the board.
Tempers started to get high in the third, but with five minutes left Cole Muir had a shorthanded goal to make it 7-2, and the score would end that way.
“It’s hard,” said Hausinger. “When the outcome is like that it’s hard to pick things that are good out.”
Having a slow start is something Hausinger said the team really has to work on individually.
“It’s mandatory now. You can’t get into a game 10 minutes [or] two periods in. It’s something individually you have to work on,” he said.
The Ice will finish their three-game homestand on Sunday, Oct. 28 against the Red Deer Rebels, puck drop is 4 p.m.
Davis said having a quick turnaround on Sunday will be helpful for the team going forward.
“We don’t have a week off here, we have to practice tomorrow and we are right back at it on Sunday. So, our mindset has to be looking forward, and looking forward to Red Deer, hopefully getting two points,” he said.