Offence from the defence kicked into overdrive for the Carstar Bisons.
Captain Lucas Watkins scored at even strength, on the powerplay and on the penalty kill to complete the rare hat-trick from a blueliner as the Okotoks Carstar Bisons (33-3-0) blanked the Cochrane Generals 4-0 on the road on Feb. 4.
"That was my first one, I can't remember getting another one," said Watkins of the three-goal feat. "I was just shooting the puck a bunch, I tend to be more of a playmaker at times and I was just firing the puck and it was going in for me."
Watkins opened the scoring in the first period, doubled his output with a powerplay tally in the middle stanza and following a Jake Snashall tally on the man-advantage rounded out the three-goal effort with a shorthanded marker with 1:33 left in regulation.
With 10 goals and 34 points in 36 games, Watkins is the top point producing defenceman in the Heritage.
Dylan Fries made 29 saves for his third shutout of the season and second in his last three starts. The Stavely product leads the league with a .933 save percentage, 1.88 goals against average and is tied for second in wins at 16.
"It definitely means a lot to beat those guys, we want to beat them every time we play them," Watkins said. "Being probably our biggest rivals in the league, I would say, it's always nice to beat them and rub it in on their alumni night there."
On Feb. 3, Okotoks closed inter-divisional play in dominant fashion.
Led by seven multi-point efforts and a trio of three-goal periods, the Bisons blitzed the Airdrie Thunder by a 9-1 score while firing a staggering 77 shots on Airdrie netminder Josh Feddema.
"I think that was our overall best 60-minute effort of the season," Watkins said. "We haven't really seen a full 60 minutes from us every game, but that game was really good and it showed on the statsheet there.
"Every game now is just build up for playoffs. We just want to get everything in check and everyone pumping on all gears."
Boogie Blackwater and Alaister Standen scored twice, Braedon LeGrandeur, Daniel Tainton, Caden Scott, Easton Dean and Ethan MacIntyre lit the lamp with blueliner Connor Claughton adding a game-high four helpers along with three-assist performances from Watkins and Jaevon Buschlen.
The victory Friday ensured Okotoks will finish the campaign with an undefeated 12-0 record during the 2022-23 campaign versus Northern Division opposition.
The final weekend of the regular season sees the Bisons host Cochrane on Feb. 10 followed by a road date in the Snake Pit on Feb. 11 versus Coaldale.
Should Okotoks run the table, it will equal its second highest wins total in a single season at 35, a mark it reached during the 2019-20 campaign.
For more information, visit okotoksbisons.com.
