A look ahead to a potential first round playoff series went the way of the visitors in Okotoks.
The top-seed Penticton Vees made their first ever trip to Okotoks a winning one as they held the Oilers to 11 shots and skated to a 4-0 victory in front of a nearly 1,289 fans at the Viking Rentals Centre on Saturday.
Penticton sniper Ryden Evers scored in the first and second period with Louie Wehmann and Oscar Pantzare tickling the twine in the third while Will Ingemann earned the 11-save shutout.
Vees captain Conyr Hellyer, an Okotokian and two year member of the Oilers during the 2021-23 seasons, played his first game at his hometown rink on the visitors bench.
The 2004 born centre was held off the scoresheet, but played his characteristic two-way game to a tee on the Vees’ top line with Calgarian Max Heise and winger Caton Ryan.
The Oilers had chances, particularly in the opening frame with a partial 5-on-3 powerplay, and on goal mouth scrambles in the middle stanza.
Rookie goalie Ben Vatis made 21 saves on 25 shots in his third start of the season for Okotoks.
On Friday, the West Kelowna Warriors outlasted Okotoks by a 5-2 score with the Okanagan squad clinching a playoff spot with the victory. Kade Duell and Brock Souch scored for the Oilers.
Following the weekend’s results, Okotoks has a three-point lead on the Spruce Grove Saints for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Interior Conference with both teams owning two games remaining on the final week of the regular season.
The Oilers host the Brooks Bandits on March 29 at 7 p.m. for their home finale and close the season on the road on March 30 in Sherwood Park in a 2 p.m. matinee.
Spruce Grove has Brooks and Blackfalds on its weekend docket.
A win of any kind by the Oilers would lock up eighth. Penticton has a four-point lead on Brooks for tops in the conference.
The Interior playoffs will also include the Trail Smoke Eaters, Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Sherwood Park Crusaders and Cranbrook Bucks, the third-six seed, respectively.
For more information, go to okotoksoilers.com.
