OIL KINGS 6 PATS 4

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oil Kings returned home looking to bounce back from a disappointing end to their recent road trip, and managed to do just that as they powered their way to a 6-4 win over the Regina Pats in a high-scoring affair Wednesday night at Rexall Place.

Edmonton (9-14-3-0) came out firing with an early tally courtesy of Kole Gable at 6:43 of the 1st period. Regina (11-10-2-0) answered back immediately with one of their own from Connor Hobbs, but the Oil Kings wasted no time getting back on top as d-man Jordan Dawson scored his first WHL goal to put the home side up 2-1 less than a minute later. Another off the stick of Hobbs moments after that would knot it up at 2-2 after 20 minutes.

The track meet continued in the 2nd with 2 goals from Oil Kings centre Lane Bauer, his team-leading 27th & 28th points on the year, to give the home side the 4-2 cushion heading into 3rd period.

“A couple of really nice plays,” Oil Kings head coach Steve Hamilton said of Bauer’s two tallies. “Puck movement found him open and I liked how he was patient and picked his spot. Those were a couple goals that took some skill & poise. It was critical to set us up for the 3rd like that.”

The 3rd period saw the scoring open up even more as Oil Kings winger Tyler Robertson potted his 11th of the year just 2:25 in to make it 5-2. But after the goal some rough stuff ensued. Two roughing penalties & two fighting majors, including one to the goal-scorer Robertson, were handed out and when the dust settled the Oil Kings somehow found themselves on the power play. But the Pats would manage to score on their ensuing penalty kill (Austin Wagner’s 8th of the year) to narrow the lead to 5-3 early in the 3rd period.

“I really disliked what went on after (Robertson’s) goal. I think that led us down a path, and we followed up with a lot of stupid penalties,” said Hamilton. “That stuff was initiated unnecessarily… How we came out of that with a power play is fortunate.”

Despite lacking some discipline in the final frame, the Oil Kings would add one more courtesy of Brett Pollock en route to the 6-4 victory over the visiting Pats.

NOTES:  The Pats were 1/7 on the powerplay and 6/6 on the penalty kill … Edmonton outshot Regina 30-24 … Tyler Brown and Jordan Hollett split time in the Pats’goal with Brown allowing five of Edmonton’s goals … The attendance was 4825 … The Pats visit the Calgary Hitmen Friday at 8:00 pm on 620 CKRM.

(With files from OilKings.ca)