OLDS — The Olds Grizzlys head out for two road games this weekend – one southwest and one to the north.
On Friday night, they travel to Canmore to take on the Eagles. Then on Saturday, they head up Highway 2 to face off against the Camrose Kodiaks.
As of Monday, the Eagles had a 17-22-2-2 record for 38 points in 43 games, good for sixth place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s eight-team south division. The Kodiaks were just one rung above them with a 19-21-2-0 record for 40 points in 42 games.
The Grizzlys were in last place in the division with a 13-26-3-0 record, totalling 29 points in 42 games.
The Grizzlys improved their record this past weekend after splitting a pair of games on the road and at home.
On Friday night, they lost 4-2 to the Oilers in Okotoks but rallied Saturday night at home to beat the Drumheller Dragons 4-2 at the Sportsplex.
Friday the 13th turned out to be an unlucky night for the Grizzlys. The Oilers – specifically forward Sam Huck – were just too much.
Jayden Watson opened the scoring for the Grizzlys at 15:55 of the first period, potting his 10th goal of the season, assisted by Greye Rampton and new Grizzly Parker Konneke.
That was Konneke’s first assist with his new team after being traded to the Grizzlys from Virden Man. at the Jan. 10 trade deadline.
The Oilers knotted the score at 1-1 just under a minute later at 16:51.
Rampton restored the Grizzlys’ lead at 6:12 of the second period with his third goal of the season, assisted by Watson.
But in the third period, Huck got a hat trick to slam the door on the Grizzlys, scoring his first goal just 24 seconds in on the powerplay, then getting a shortie at 4:58 and an empty-netter at 19:21.
The Grizzlys went 1/7 on the powerplay. The Oilers were 1/6 with the man advantage.
Rampton was named the Grizzlys’ game star.
However, the Grizzlys rebounded on Saturday night at home with a strong performance of their own.
Ryder Many Grey Horses opened the scoring with his ninth goal of the season, giving the Grizzlys a 1-0 lead at 9:08 of the first period, assisted by Niklas Gudmundson and Blake (Daniel) Matheson.
The Dragons tied it up at the 10:22 mark of that first frame, but August Olson put the Grizzlys back in the lead, scoring his second goal of the season unassisted at 10:54.
Drumheller got the only goal of the second period, knotting the score at 2-2 with a shorthanded goal, just 28 seconds into that frame.
The Grizzlys did all the scoring in the third period.
Matheson got his third goal of the season at the 1:06 mark, assisted by Watson.
Grey Horses put the final nail in the coffin with his 10th goal of the season, a shortie and empty-netter at 18:24 of the period.
Both teams went 0/5 on the powerplay.
Olson was named the game star for the Grizzlys.
