October 16, 2023 by Spencer Pomoty

Since my last article, the Edmonton Oil Kings have dropped the five straight games to fall to 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Their first two losses were similar, as they put up 36 shots against the Prince Albert and 40 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes, but came away with a three-goal defeat. The Oil Kings played well in both games, but minor mistakes kept coming to bite them. Against the Raiders they let a few players get in behind them for a breakaway and resulted in a goal. It seemed that any chance Prince Albert had to score, they made the most out of it. The loss to Lethbridge ultimately came when Rhys Pedersen took a four-minute high-sticking double minor, and the Hurricanes capitalized with a pair of power-play markers 51 seconds apart to take a 3-2 lead. These were two home games they should have won, but due to some finishing woes, they unfortunately dropped both.

Ryder Ritchie showed well in his game at Rogers Place. The right-shot winger stands at 6-feet and 173-pounds, his skating stride is near perfect as he generates impressive power throughout every stride, using crossovers to get to his top speed and displaying that he can handle and think at that speed. Another great aspect of the Calgary-born winger’s game is the way he uses his teammates and moves off puck to get to the right spots. It was my first live viewing of the potential first round pick, and I was impressed once again with his game.

It’s still early in the season, but Lethbridge has been to Edmonton three times already. Miguel Marques has shown some real potential with his playmaking ability, he blends his passes very well with his shot mechanic making it hard on defenders to know what he’s doing. Dragging the puck in, but then looking off the shot for a seam pass. Sometimes the Lethbridge winger will over pass, he has a good shot and can change angles with his release. He’s an intriguing middle round selection for me now, but there is a lot of the season left.

The Oil Kings suffered their most embarrassing loss of the season on October 11, when the Saskatoon Blades crushed them 7-0 on home ice. There wasn’t anything to write home about on that night. Edmonton had a better showing against the Red Deer Rebels on Sunday, albeit in another losing effort, as their provincial rivals picked up a 5-2 win.

However, the Oil Kings will have a chance to get some revenge and end their losing skid, as the Rebels are staying in town for a rematch at Rogers Place on Tuesday.