CANMORE – A 16-save shutout from Matthew Malin and two goals from each of Ethan Look and Logan Ziegler propelled the Canmore Eagles to a 5-0 win over the Fort McMurray Oil Barons.
The Eagles took Game 1 of the best-of-five play-in series, with the winner advancing to the Alberta Junior Hockey League playoffs.
Look opened the game’s scoring at 4:42 of the first period and Ziegler gave the Eagles a 2-0 advantage with 0:41 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
In the second, Look notched his second goal of the game midway through the period and Ziegler scored on the power play with 0:32 seconds left in the period. Rhett Dekowny secured the five-goal lead with about four minutes left in the third period.
Brody Mortensen had a pair of assists, with eight different Canmore players getting on the scoresheet.
The Eagles went 1-for-4 on the man advantage and Fort McMurray was 0-and-2. Canmore kept Oil Barons’ goalie Gage Stewart busy with 57 shots on net and Malin stopped all 16 he faced.
Canmore comes into the play-in series ranked No. 7, while Fort McMurray is No. 10. The AJHL playoffs officially begin March 15.
The Oil Barons came into the series having won the season series 3-2, with two of Fort McMurray’s wins coming in Canmore.
Game 2 is Friday (March 8) at 7 p.m. Game 3 heads to Fort McMurray Sunday (March 10) at 7:30 p.m. If necessary, Game 4 is in Fort McMurray at 7:30 p.m. on Monday (March 11) and Game 5 would be Wednesday (March 13) in Canmore.
Why an AJHL Play-In is happening
Following a mass exodus of five teams from the AJHL earlier this year to the BCHL, the league restructured its schedules for the regular season and playoffs, including a best-of-five play-in tournament between the bottom six teams (No. 6-11).
The top five teams have already made the playoffs, which officially start March 15, and will be played between the top eight teams.
