The Okotoks Oilers don’t often make third-period comebacks, but when they do they prefer the achievement be at the expense of their biggest rival.
For the third time this season, the Oilers erased a final stanza deficit to defeat the Camrose Kodiaks in extra time earning a 3-2 shootout win on the road Jan. 14 and an extra point on the current holders of second place in the South Division of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. “We’ve been in that situation before where we’re down by one going into the third against Camrose and we managed to pull it off a couple times so we were pretty used to it,” said Okotoks’ blueliner Robert Hamilton.
Oilers forward Greg Lamoureux reinforced the sentiment, adding the atmosphere at Camrose’s Edgeworth Centre is conducive to late game rallies for his club.
“It’s kind of a hostile environment and it’s nice to get wins against Camrose,” Lamoureux said. “We always find an extra gear in the third period when we’re playing them.”
Camrose held a 2-1 advantage through 40 minutes on power-play markers from former Oiler Joel Johnson and Nelson Gadoury and Okotoks’ Connor Collett responded in the first period. The Oilers didn’t waste any time in their comeback pursuit tying the game just 33 seconds into the third period on Lamoureux’s seventh goal of the season.
“Derek (Bacon) got out of the penalty box and Caylen (Walls) gave him a nice pass and he went in on a breakaway… Derek made a nice move, but the goalie made a nice save and I just came in and buried the garbage, ” said Lamoureux of the tally.
The marker snapped an eight game scoreless streak for Lamoureux, who’s known more for his playmaking prowess. Nonetheless, he said halting the slump was a big weight off his shoulders.
“I hadn’t had a point since Christmas break so I was feeling a little bit of pressure and it was nice to get a big goal and get out of the slump,” Lamoureux said.
The game went to a shootout setting the stage for Hamilton to get the rare opportunity as a defenceman in the extra session. Tyler Krause netted the Oilers’ first shot in the shootout and Hamilton was sent on for his first attempt of the season. The offensive-minded blueliner used the occasion to display his silky smooth mitts.
“I skated in and kind of faked the shot then went forehand-backhand and I was able to slide it in between the post and his foot,” said Hamilton of his game winning shot. “It was a great win, there’s nothing better than winning in Camrose.” The victory was on the heels of a lackluster effort the previous night when the Oilers coughed up a third period lead to the Drayton Valley Thunder, losing game 3-2 the Jan. 13 at Centennial Arena.
Okotoks took two of a possible four points from the weekend and moved ahead of the Calgary Mustangs for third spot in the South. The Oilers have 49 points and have narrowed the gap on the Kodiaks’ second place lead to just five points, as of Jan. 17. Okotoks travelled to Olds to face the scorching hot Grizzlys on Jan. 17, but results were too late for press time. The Oilers host Canmore on Jan. 20 for the first game of a home and home set with the Eagles, culminating in a rematch on Jan. 21 in Canmore. For more information go to www.okotoksoilers.com.
