Trailing in a Western Hockey League playoff series for just the fourth time in two years, the nerves were understandably high for the Edmonton Oil Kings on the morning of their all-important Game 4 against the Portland Winterhawks. Oil Kings forward T.J. Foster showed just how tightly wound he was when he turned the table on the media before he could be asked any questions.
“Do I have any English muffin in my moustache?” he asked before the lights of the TV cameras flicked on*.
So, maybe the Oil Kings aren’t overly (or at least outwardly) stressed as we sit a few hours out the 7 p.m. start time of Game 4 tonight. The team held a meeting this morning to talk about all that’s ailed them in the process of falling behind 2-1 in the league final against a Portland team that has been scary good so far.
“I can honestly say I don’t think we’ve played our best in this series yet and it’s something we just talked about,” Oil Kings head coach Derek Laxdal said.
“We had a meeting this morning and it’s kind of all areas of the ice that we have to shore up our game a little bit. It starts in the offensive zone. I thought in the second and third period (of Game 3 on Tuesday) we started to have a little more time in the zone and create some scoring chances but we just have to bring a little more urgency to all aspects of our game.”
Coming in off of a disappointing 3-1 loss on Tuesday, the situation is just about as urgent as it can get. A win tonight would even the series up at 2-2 and of course would ensure at least a Game 6 in Edmonton on Sunday. A loss to the Winterhawks tonight would give Portland a 3-1 series lead and an opportunity for the team to win the WHL championship back at the Rose Garden in front of their passionate fans on Friday in Game 5.
“I think the urgency he talks about is more in a sense like for a defenceman getting back as fast as you can on the puck so you make plays instead of getting back at the same time as them,” said Oil Kings defenceman Keegan Lowe. “They’re pretty good and slimy with the sticks, stick-lifting you and stealing pucks from behind so we’ve got to make our plays as quick as we can.”
They’ll need to make the plays early, too. The Oil Kings fell behind 3-0 in the first period last night, topping their penalty-laced Game 2 start that saw them down 1-0 and outshot 11-3 after 20 minutes.
“We just have to realize that obviously we have not come close to playing our best hockey,” Edmonton forward Travis Ewanyk said. “That’s hockey, starting the game and it’s been biting us. It’s got to stop sooner or later and obviously down 2-1 it’s got to stop now.”
“We have to make sure that we utilize the crowd and get them involved early,” Laxdal said. “I thought the crowd did a really good job at the puck drop (in Game 3) to try and energize the guys and (Portland) got going and scored that first and second goal.
“You could really feel the building deflate and our bench kind of deflated. We brought them in after the first period and kind of had to give them a blast and get them to get ready to play and I thought they responded a little bit. We’ve got to find that energy right from the get-go, as soon as they walk into this building tonight it’s got to be a little businesslike.”
Lowe figured that his team’s third period was its best of the game. Edmonton finally was able to put a body in front of Portland netminder Mac Carruth and the team threw 20 shots on him in the game’s final frame.
“We had some chances that we probably should have buried and it could have been a different game,” Lowe said. “We just have to know that when we were doing things right we were able to control the game and if we’re able to do that for 60 minutes tonight we’re going to win a hockey game.”
Game time is 7 p.m., airing on Shaw TV and on air at the TEAM 1260.
*For the record, Foster’s sinewy moustache was free of debris.
