What a difference a year makes.
After going into last year’s post-season with a depleted group of blueliners, the Okotoks Oilers enter the 2019-20 playoffs with an abundance of depth, talent at both ends of the ice and experience on the back-end.
“We’re a hard working group of guys that have our defence down and then we’re able to jump into the rush,” said defenceman Seth Bernard-Docker. “This year we’re a little more experienced than last year and we’ve bought in as a team and that’s why we’re getting the success we are.”
Returnees on the back-end include Bernard-Docker, Eric Parker and captain Ayden Roche-Setoguchi, who was sidelined for most of last season with injury. Sophomore Tanner Sawka, has been forced out of action due to injury since early in the 2019-20 campaign.
“You take what you get from when you’re here and you move on with it,” Bernard-Docker said. “This year I’m more confident, feel better with my skills. The guys around me have been awesome too. We’ve got a real strong group back there and I feel I can be myself and can do what I know I can do to help this team offensively and defensively.”
Noah Kim paced the team offensively on the back-end with 14 goals and 56 points with Bernard-Docker and Parker each scoring at over the half point per game clip with 32 and 39 points, respectively.
“Our coaches give us the structure that make us get up ice and jump into the offence,” Kim said. “They’re always talking to us about being that fourth guy in and I think that’s helped all of us.
“All of the other d-men, we’re all kind of the same style. We all can get our feet going and it’s really nice having whoever you’re playing with contribute, both guys offensively — guys like Parker, Doc, Seto, all those guys.”
Rookie blueliner Tucker McRae and mid-season addition Coltan Wilkie have only added to the team’s strength on the back-end.
“I think it’s just one more year, you’ve got a lot of them back and the unfortunate event there with Sawka,” said Oilers head coach Tyler Deis. “I think it’s the growth with McRae coming in here and bringing in Wilkie here later to help solidify that six or seven defencemen.”
The Oilers registered 170 points from defenders still on the roster, numbers that have a lot to do with systems and positional play.
“As long as you know you’re fulfilling your job defensively you have the green light to jump up in the play when it suits the team,” Bernard-Docker said. “Every time you feel like you have the chance to add to a rush or you can hop up in the play, you’re going to take your chances on that, for sure.”
That may change ever so slightly when the post-season begins this weekend for the Green and Gold.
“They’ve been telling us we need to play for the 1-0 games, so shut it down defensively,” Kim said. “Especially in playoffs, you don’t want to get into shootouts with teams. I think we will definitely have to make some adjustments.”
Okotoks will play the Camrose Kodiaks in round two of the playoffs.
The Brooks Bandits and Drumheller Dragons are matched in the other South Division semifinals.
“We were kind of shorthanded last year going into playoffs and hopefully this year we can be healthy,” Bernard-Docker said. “Playoffs, the intensity bumps up so you’ve got to make sure you’re really doing your job and jumping up in other areas where you can. Just be safe, but at the same time, you’ve got to be going hard all the time. Playoffs, everything goes up so you’ve got to elevate yourself too.”
The Oilers second-round series will begin March 14 at Pason Centennial Arena. Check okotoksoilers.ca for the latest schedule information.
