OLDS — The Olds Grizzlys hope to get back in the win column on Tuesday, Jan. 28 when they host the Canmore Eagles after losing both games of a two-game weekend roadie in Fort McMurray.
The Grizzlys were beaten 8-2 on Saturday and 6-4 on Sunday.
On Saturday night, the Grizzlys were in a deep hole early as the Oil Barons scored three goals in the first period, including a shortie.
The Grizzlys finally got on the scoreboard in the second period when Johnny Maruna got his second goal in the gold and black at 4:27, assisted by Aiden Knutson and Jack Bouck.
However, the Oil Barons got one more – a powerplay marker-- to take a 4-1 lead going into the third period.
The Oil Barons stretched that lead to 6-1 before Brayden Schwartz trimmed the lead a bit with his second goal of the season at the 11:00 mark, assisted by Bailey Shortall and Jonathan Doucette.
The Oil Barons scored two more in the last couple of minutes of the game to round out the scoring.
Goaltender Connor Johnson took the loss for the Grizzlys, stopping 36 of 44 shots on goal. The Grizzlys fired 22 shots at Oil Barons netminder Vincent Filion.
The Grizzlys went zero for six on the powerplay. The Oil Barons were two for six.
Sunday’s game started out more promising for the Grizzlys, as Nolan Viesner scored his first as a Grizzly at 2:54 of the first period, unassisted.
The Oil Barons scored two goals of their own, including a short-handed one, to take a 2-1 lead. However, Grizzly forward Hunter Motley tied the game at 2-2 just before the end of the period, also unassisted, at 19:15.
In the second period, the Oil Barons scored two goals to take a 4-2 lead. Quinn Metzger narrowed the margin on the powerplay with his fourth goal at the 15:39 mark, assisted by Lucas Schaefer and Viesner.
At 6:06 of the third period, Motley tied it up at 4-4 with his seventh goal, assisted by Viesner and Schaefer.
However, the Oil Barons scored two more goals to seal the win.
This time, Ben Dardis was in goal for the Grizzlys. He stopped 38 of 44 shots fired his way. Oil Barons goaltender Gavin Melcher stopped 23 of 27 Grizzlys shots on net.
The Grizzlys were one for three on the powerplay, the Oil Barons zero for five.
After tonight’s game, the Grizzlys host the Lloydminster Bobcats Friday night at 7 p.m. in the Sportsplex. On Saturday, they face off against the Calgary Canucks at the Siksika Deerfoot Sportsplex, near Bassano.