The Okotoks Oilers ensured their first taste of playoff hockey in three years will start at home.
In the regular season finale, the Oilers (28-28-4) shutout the Blackfalds Bulldogs 3-0 on the road on Feb. 26 to claim the fourth seed and home ice advantage in the first round playoff series between the South Division foes.
“Playing at home is always the best, the fans we have in Okotoks are so awesome,” said Oilers goalie Parker Sawka. “We’ve had way more fans this year, we’re getting a lot of young kids from the schools coming out and really loud crowds and I think it really helps our game.
“A lot of guys don’t have playoff experience with COVID and stuff over the past years so I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to get that experience and have some good games in front of fans again and to try and win the series and get as far as possible.”
The Oilers entered the weekend needing one point from the home-and-home series to lock up the four seed with the Bulldogs in striking distance.
Blackfalds took care of business in the front end of the set in earning a comprehensive 5-2 triumph on Feb. 25 at Pason Centennial Arena.
Spencer Bell, Jason Siedem, Kaiden Ellertson scored in a three-minute span in the opening frame as the visitors took control early. Sam Huck and Rieger Lorenz scored in the late stages for Okotoks.
With a depleted lineup with six regulars sidelined, including four 2001-born skaters, the Oilers rose to the occasion the following night in Blackfalds.
“It was a big game, there wasn’t many guys with a lot of guys injured and we just wanted to set the tone for playoffs and let them know it’s not going to be easy,” said Oilers forward Nolan Flint.
“We just had to play our game, just keep it simple and we knew with all of our guys injured that we just really had to double down on the D-zone and our structure. And that’s what we did.
“It was huge, we have a lot of young guys so it was a good opportunity for everyone to play.”
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Rookie Ryan Neumann opened the scoring on a wicked wrist shot on the rush in the first period, Dean Spak doubled the lead with a rebound tally on the powerplay in the middle frame and freshman centre Brett Huxley iced the result with an empty netter.
At the other end of the ice, Sawka stepped up for a 27-save shutout, his second of the season and first since early October.
“I was really just trying to slow the game down, I hadn’t been in for a couple of games so I was just trying to make the saves I’m supposed to and give the boys a chance to win,” Sawka said. “Getting the first goal is always really helpful, especially with our young group. We really build off momentum.
“We were playing a really simple game, getting pucks deep with a hard forecheck and building off our own team’s momentum.”
Okotoks will host Game 1 and 2 on March 4 and 5, both 7 p.m. starts at Pason Centennial Arena.
It will mark the first postseason play at Pason Centennial Arena since 2019 as the Oilers did not get an opportunity to start their playoff journey in 2020 as the top seed at the time with the pandemic beginning to take hold. The 2021 condensed season did not have a playoff.
“Our crowds have always been good and it will be good to finally play some playoff games at home, for once, it’s been a while, so we really wanted that (home ice),” Flint added. “It will be cool, there’s only a couple guys here that have experienced playoffs in junior hockey so it will be interesting and exciting.”
The other AJHL South Division playoff series will feature the two-seed Drumheller Dragons versus the Calgary Canucks with the Camrose Kodiaks and Canmore Eagles in the three-versus-six matchup.
The runaway winners of the regular season crown, the Brooks Bandits, have a bye through the first round.
For more information go to okotoksoilers.ca.
Oilers versus Bulldogs series
Game 1: Bulldogs at Oilers. March 4
Game 2: Bulldogs at Oilers. March 5
Game 3: Oilers at Bulldogs. March 8
Game 4: Oilers at Bulldogs. March 9
*Game 5: Bulldogs at Oilers. March 11
*Game 6: Oilers at Bulldogs. March 13
*Game 7: Bulldogs at Oilers. March 15
*If necessary
