EDMONTON -- A late-game goal proved to be the difference as the Edmonton Oil Kings took a 3-2 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders in Game 2 of their Western Hockey League Eastern Conference quarter-final series on Tuesday night.
Ethan McKenzie scored with 3:45 to play in the contest to secure the win for Edmonton and give his team a two-games-to-one lead in the best-of -seven first-round battle.
The majority of scoring came in the first period, as Riley Boychuk gave Prince Albert a 1-0 lead at the 5:34 mark, but Edmonton would score twice late to take a 2-1 edge out of the opening frame.
Gavin Hodnett tied the contest with 5:11 remaining in the first and Marshall Finnie made it 2-1 Oil Kings with 1:26 to play.
There things stood until Aiden Oiring tied the game up at the 7:10 mark of the third, setting the stage for MacKenzie’s power play marker as time ran down.
Both Hodnett and Sawchyn finished with two points apiece.
Max Hildebrand stopped 30 shots in taking the loss in goal for Prince Albert, while Ethan Simcoe was far less busy, stopping 18 shots for Edmonton.
Game 4 of the series is set for Wednesday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton, with puck drop at 7 p.m.
