Giants Drop Nail Biter 5-4 To Oil Kings

Blake Fiddler and Adam Jecho scored goals 18 seconds apart late in the third period of Monday’s matinee to propel the Edmonton Oil Kings past the Vancouver Giants 5-4.

The loss drops the Giants record to 5-4-0-0 finishing their five-game Alberta road trip with a 2-3 record.

Vancouver got another two tallies from draft eligible forward Cameron Schmidt, who leads the Western Hockey League in goals with 11.

Ty Halaburda also scored a beautiful goal to tie the game 3-3, while Adam Titlbach scored early in the first for the Giants.

Similar to Saturday’s loss in Medicine Hat, the Giants got into some penalty trouble with a 4-3 lead.

They managed to kill off a tripping penalty with eight minutes left, but that same penalty killing unit was then stuck on the ice, which led to Fiddler’s 4-4 goal.

The Giants were then called for a bench minor, which led to Jecho’s game-winning power play marker with 5:25 left in the game.

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Matthew Hutchison was very busy on Monday, holding the Giants in the game early on with 16 first period saves. He finished with 33 stops.

Jecho had two goals for the Oil Kings, while Fiddler, Landon Hanson and Mirolsav Holinka had the other Oil Kings tallies.

GAME SUMMARY

The Giants came out sluggish – with Edmonton getting some high quality looks early – but Titlbach gave the Giants a 1-0 lead just 3:27 into the game when he chipped the puck from below the goal line off the back of goaltender Alex Worthington and in for his third goal of the season.

Edmonton responded less than two minutes later when Holinka took a drop feed from Gavin Hodnett and ripped one home from the slot.

Schmidt put the Giants back out in front 2-1 at the 8:38 mark after he received a diving pass from Aaron Obobaifo that left him uncovered in the slot off the rush, where he quickly went glove side just under the crossbar.

Edmonton responded by tying the game 2-2 before the first period ended, off the stick of Landon Hanson.

The Oil Kings grabbed their first lead of the game 7:08 into period two on a goal off the rush, when Lukas Sawchyn connected with Jecho on a cross-crease feed.

After some big stops from Hutchison kept the deficit at one, Halaburda evened the score on a great individual effort, when he entered the offensive zone down the left wing and powered his way to the front of the net, before chipping in his fourth goal of the season.

Just 1:27 after Halaburda’s goal, Schmidt scored his second of the game off a centering pass from Ryan Lin, who picked up his 11th assist of the season.

The third period was even between both sides, and the trouble for Vancouver only came late with some penalties, which led to Fiddler’s game-tying goal and then Jecho’s game-winner 18 seconds later.

The Giants did have some good looks with the goaltender pulled, but couldn’t find the equalizer.

Vancouver forward Aaron Obobaifo left Monday’s game with an upper body injury. The extent of his injury is not yet known at this time.

Thanks to Vancouver Giants Play by Play Nathan Kanter for the press release!!!!