(File photo)
Round 2 of the AJHL playoffs are underway, and the Drayton Valley Thunder are now tied 1-1 in their series against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
The Thunder stumbled a bit in Game 1 on Mar. 18 when the Oil Barons beat the Thunder 4-1.
The Oil Barons were first out of the gate Friday, scoring in the final seconds of the first period. Dylan Clark got the goal unassisted at 19:44 to give the Barons a 1-0 lead.
The Oil Barons increased their lead in the second period when Pana Efraimidis scored at 10:54. Tyler Wallace and Chris Kobelka assisted on the play. The Thunder then got on the board at 16:06, when Kadyn Chabot scored. Luca Ricci and Ethan Browne got the assists. At the end of the second, it was 2-1 for the Oil Barons.
The Oil Barons just kept increasing their lead in the third. Max McCoy scored on the power play at 3:51, thanks to assists from Brandon Sacchettia and Rider McCallum. Tristan Kimmen then got the insurance goal for the Oil Barons, slipping the puck into an empty net at 17:59. The assists went to Tyler Wallace and Gabe Gratton. The final score was 4-1 for the Oil Barons.
The Oil Barons came on strong, outshooting the Thunder 36-27. The Oil Barons had the better power play as well, going 1 for 1. The Thunder went 0 for 3.
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The Thunder found retribution on Mar. 19, however, as they beat the Oil Barons 5-3.
After a scoreless first period, the Thunder were first on the board in the first minute of the second. Kadyn Chabot scored at 0:58, with an assist from Ethan Browne. The Oil Barons got their first goal 12 seconds later, as Brandon Sacchetti scored at 1:10. Lucas Jones got the assist. The Thunder pulled ahead at 14:27, as Moe Hakim scored unassisted. At the end of the second, it was 2-1 for the Thunder.
The Thunder pulled ahead with two goals in the first six minutes of the third period. Ethan Browne scored on the power play at 3:39, with assists from Grayson Reid and Daniel Kernaghan to make it 3-1. Kadyn Chabot then got his second of the night at 5:22, with Ethan Browne’s second assist of the night to make it 4-1. The Oil Barons struck back at 6:50 though, as Jesse Burchart got a goal with an assist from Aidyn Hutchinson and Justin Ross, making it 4-2. The Oil Barons got another one at 18:05, thanks to Ryder Matter to close the gap to 4-3. Rider McCallum and Lucas Jones got the assists. But the Thunder got the insurance goal at 18:26, as Drew Sutton scored on an empty net. Daniel Kernaghan and Brett Bamber assisted on the play. Final score was 5-3 for the Thunder.
While the Thunder won the game, the Oil Barons outpaced them in shots on goal. The Oil Barons had 45 shots, compared to the Thunder’s 26. The Thunder had the better power play, however, going 1 for 6, while the Oil Barons were 0 for 5.
With the series tied 1-1, hopefully the home ice advantage will help the Drayton Valley Thunder. Action returns to the Drayton Valley Omniplex for games three and four. Game 3 is Mar. 22, and game 4 is Mar. 23.
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