SUBSCRIBE: Missing news on social media? Subscribe to CHAT News Today's DAILY newsletter and stay up to date with your city.

Oil Kings answer back with commanding Game 4 victory

Mar 27, 2019 | 10:33 PM

 

MEDICINE HAT, AB — It took nearly 100 minutes, but the Edmonton Oil Kings finally solved their scoring troubles in the Canalta Centre and didn’t look back.

The Central Division champions scored three quick goals late in the second period, on route to a 5-1 victory in Game 4 of their opening round against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night.

This locks their best-of-seven Conference Quarter-Final at a 2-2 tie. The two squads will now head north to the provincial capital for Game 5 on Friday before a guaranteed return to the Gas City for Game 6 on Sunday.

Vince Loschiavo scored a pair of power-play goals and an assist for the Oil Kings, who went 2-for-5 on the man-advantage. Quinn Benjafield, Andrew Fyten, and Matthew Robertson each collected a goal and an assist, and Trey Fix-Wolansky netted a pair of helpers.

Edmonton’s five goals all came unanswered after the Tigers opened the scoring in the second period.

Ryan Jevne scored the lone marker, his first of the post-season. Medicine Hat was outshot 36-15 and went 1-for-5 on the power-play. Captain James Hamblin and alternate captain Ryan Chyzowski assisted on Jevne’s tally.

Mads Søgaard, who recorded a 32-save shutout the night before, made 31 stops. Todd Scott turned aside 14 pucks to earn a victory in his first career playoff start.

The Oil Kings held a 14-5 shot advantage in a scoreless opening period.

Edmonton poured on substantial pressure for the first 10 minutes, outshooting the Tigers 9-0 at one point, but was unable to solve Søgaard. Their first surrendered shot came after captain Trey Fix-Wolansky took a roughing minor at 7:57.

It took until the 9:34 mark of the second period for either team to find the scoresheet. Tigers overage alternate captain Ryan Jevne found a hole under the blocker of Scott on a power play opportunity.

Edmonton finally solved the Danish net-minder late in the second period, scoring three goals in a span of 1:58.

Quinn Benjafield’s deflection on the power-play fooled Søgaard — the Oil Kings first goal at the Canalta Centre of the series with 4:28 remaining.

73 seconds later, Andrew Fyten flew down the left-hand wing and slipped his first of the playoffs over the glove of Søgaard. Loschiavo tipped a high shot from Fix-Wolansky moments later to give the Kings a 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission.

Loschiavo’s second goal of the night came 7:31 into the third frame, ripping a one-timer set up by Fix-Wolansky from the top of the left circle. His helper came on a bizarre play with about nine minutes to go; Robertson’s short-handed dump-in from center-ice ricocheted squarely into an empty cage as Søgaard was on his way to play it behind the goal line.

Medicine Hat will board the bus Thursday and hit the road to Edmonton, with Friday’s puck drop set for 7:00 p.m. Sunday’s Game 6 will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Canalta Centre.