For the second time in franchise history the Okotoks Oilers were given an early second round exit from the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs at the hands of the Olds Grizzlys.
The Oilers were eliminated from the AJHL quarterfinals after losing Game 6 by a 4-3 deficit March 16 in Olds, giving Olds the 4-2 series victory, duplicating its second round triumph over Okotoks in 2009.
Oilers’ captain Derek Bacon said the Game 6 loss was a microcosm of the series as a whole.
“We came out and had a good first period and the second period kind of us let us down, which happened all series and then in the third when we realized we really had to do something we did, but it was too late,” Bacon said.
The teams skated to a scoreless deadlock in the first 20 minutes before the Grizzlys’ special teams took over in the second period. Olds forward Brandon Clowes scored a shorthanded marker and a goal on the man advantage to go along with Mitch Owsley’s powerplay tally. Okotoks stormed out of the gate down 3-0 in the third period with Tyler Krause getting Okotoks on the board 2:10 into the frame. Scott Bolland made it 3-2 with a powerplay goal, but Olds’ Dylan Hubbs scored a crucial insurance marker with just 7:31 left on the clock. Okotoks wouldn’t quit as Bacon scored with just 1:08 remaining, but that was as close as Okotoks would come.
The heartbreaking loss came on the heels of a 7-1 romp for the Oilers to stave off elimination the night prior, March 14 in Okotoks. Bacon said the convincing victory gave the Oilers a false sense of security going into Game 6.
“We had a lot of confidence and we definitely thought we could take it and we were even looking beyond that and thought it was going to go to seven,” Bacon said. “We needed to focus and play that game to get there and it just didn’t happen.”
Oilers’ defenceman Rhett Holland, sidelined in Game 6 with a shoulder injury, said the Oilers felt the new systems they implemented with great results in Game 5 would be too much for Olds to adjust to.
“Coming into Game 6 I guess we thought that since we just switched to all new systems Olds couldn’t play with that,” Holland said. “But obviously that wasn’t the case and Olds came out a lot stronger that night and got a well deserved victory.”
Holland didn’t mince words when asked what led to the series defeat.
“I just think Olds outworked us and that was the biggest thing,” Holland said. “It’s pretty disappointing that that’s what it came down to. The first couple of games could have bounced either way, but when it came down to it they wanted it more.”
The second round dismissal put an end to the Junior careers for a bevy of Oilers graduating from the franchise.
The 18-year-old Holland is moving on to Michigan State University.
The 1991 born players Bacon, Krause, Jon Turk, Alex Kromm, Cody Irving, Craig Gans, Caylen Walls and goaltender Michael Tadjdeh completed their final season of eligibility.
The Oilers’ captain, Bacon, said it was disappointing to cap off his Junior career with an early playoff exit.
“It’s tough, it’s our last year at it and obviously we’d like to go further,” Bacon said. “We made some good friends this year and some lifelong friends I’m sure. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys and it’s a first-class organization, I had no complaints. They took care of everything and all the players had to do was play hockey and I really appreciated everyone in Okotoks.”
Holland, who along with Turk was the longest serving member of the franchise, said he will savour his tenure with the Junior A club.
“I played three years here and it’s probably the best three years of my life, I could say that for sure,” Holland said. “Great fan support, community was really good, the coaching staff, everything was really good.”
Holland, one of four AJHL players among the top 200 North American prospects for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, advised future versions of the Oilers to trust in the implemented systems.
“We had a slow start and I think that’s mostly because we didn’t believe in the systems our coaches set out for us,” Holland said. “Next year I’d say to all the new guys and returning guys right off the bat to just believe, whatever the coaches say you’ve got to do it.”
The Oilers begin their work for next season when they hold their annual spring camp starting April 13.
