By: Terry Martin
The Saints entered this weekend 4-6-0 on the season with two more games to play against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
The first period of the game featured some non-stop action as the teams went nearly 10 minutes without a whistle. Palmer would make a huge cross ice pad save with 8 minutes left in the period to keep the game scoreless. The Oil Barons would strike first as Clarke Huxley jammed the puck past Palmer after a scramble in front of the net. Tristan Kimmen would also score for the Oil Barons to bump up their lead to 2-0. The Oil Barons lead in shots at the end of 20 minutes by a total of 10-7.
The Saints and Oil Barons continued their furious pace into the second period, lots of play and not a lot of whistles. Jesse Burchart would be the one to break the tension, scoring a similar goal to Tristan Kimmen from the left circle. The score would stay at 3-0 for the rest of the period as both goalies would come up with some great saves in tight. Final shots after the period were 17-16 for Fort McMurray.
The third period featured the first penalties of the game, as each team would get a chance to flex their special team skills. The Saints would produce plenty of opportunities throughout the period but the Oil Barons goalie, Nadler, would be perfect for most of the game. McKay Hayes would be the one to break the shutout with 5 seconds left in the period on the power play. Palmer would also shut down the offense for the Oil Barons, making 7 more saves in the period. Final shots in the game were 25-23 for the Saints.
The Saints will head up to Fort McMurray on April 4th for a 4:00pm puck drop to wrap up this cohort series. The Saints will then get a week break as they wait for their next opponent.