The Okotoks Oilers used a back-to-back weekend set to put an exclamation point on their domination of the Canmore Eagles this season.
The Oilers swept their home-and-home set with the South Division basement-dwelling Eagles, earning a 4-2 victory in Okotoks on Jan. 20 and a 4-1 win in scenic Canmore the following night in Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) action.
Okotoks clipped the wings of the Eagles this season with the weekend set capping off a perfect record for the Oilers against the Eagles this season. Okotoks posted a 6-0 mark while outscoring Canmore by a 36-12 margin.
Okotoks captain Derek Bacon said picking up the maximum 12 points from its six games with Canmore is instrumental to Okotoks’ pursuit of a top two-seed in the South Division.
“We’re four back of second and second is our goal and we need any points we can get right now,” he said.
The Oilers got singles from forwards Alex Kromm and Connor Collett as well as tallies from blueliners Caylen Walls and Robert Hamilton, while Keaton Lubin chipped in with two assists in their home date with the Eagles on Jan. 20. Rookie netminder Jared D’Amico made 25 saves for his sixth win of the season.
Bacon said getting offensive contributions from the blueline was vital for an Oilers team mired in a slight scoring slump. Okotoks potted just 13 goals from its previous six games before the weekend dates with Canmore.
“It’s real key, they’ve been good lately and the defence have been shooting a lot,” Bacon said. “Walls and Lubin have been getting a few shots a game and that’s been helping out a lot.”
The latter said providing offence from the back end does wonders for his confidence. Through six games in the AJHL, Lubin has produced four helpers in five games.
“Obviously when you’re performing and you’re getting points you feel a lot better about yourself,” Lubin said. “The point shots are always a good way to get the offence going and it’s nice to finally get some points on the scoresheet.”
The rematch in Canmore saw the Oilers jump out to a 2-1 lead through the first 40 minutes on goals from Alex Kromm and Connor Hartley. Bacon added a pair of third-period insurance markers, while Michael Tadjdeh was a steadying force in between the pipes, stopping 34 shots en route to a player of the game performance for the Oilers.
“I thought we played a team game they weren’t the nicest wins we’ve had, but we got the job done and that’s really all that matters,” Lubin said. “Tadjdeh played really well in Canmore, when we had our defensive zone lapses he was there to shut the door and that always helps at the end of the day.”
The Oilers captain, Bacon, has regained his scoring touch of late, with four goals in his last three contests. Bacon attributed his recent form to getting into the greasy areas near the blue paint.
“I think all the goals have been just me going to the net and getting rebounds on my stick,” Bacon said. “I’ve been fortunate, (linemate) Jon Turk has been shooting a lot and I’ve just been going to the net.”
As of Jan. 23, Okotoks (24-19-5) was fourth in the South Division standings, four points back of the Camrose Kodiaks (26-17-5) while trailing the Calgary Mustangs (25-18-4) by a single point for the third seed.
The Oilers played the Kodiaks on Jan. 24, but results were too late for press time. For more information log on to www.okotoksoilers.com.
