The Lloydminster Bobcats scored three goals on just four first period shots and registered an empty net insurance goal to down the visiting Canmore Eagles 4-2 in an Alberta Junior Hockey League game played before 1,046 fans on Saturday night in Lloydminster.
The loss dropped the Eagles record to 29-20-3 and keeps them in fourth-place in the AJHL Southern Division standings with 61 points. With just eight games remaining on the regular season schedule, Canmore now trails the second-place Okotoks Oilers and Drumheller Dragons by four points and remain three points up on the fifth-place Camrose Kodiaks.
Trey Phillips (23rd) and Lane Olson (4th) had the Eagle goals last night while starting netminder Cam Barnes lasted just one period and took the loss to drop his overall record to 8-10-1. Ryan Ferguson took over to start the second period and stopped all 19 shots directed his way.
“As a team, we had a much better game tonight than the night before in Bonnyville, but we dug ourselves an early hole and we couldn’t get out of it,” said Eagle’s Head Coach and General Manager Andrew Milne. “We had some good chances as we hit the cross bar and missed an open net in the third period, but we just couldn’t convert. We have gotten better each game on this trip, so let’s hope that we play are best game on Sunday as we are going to have our hands full with an angry Kodiaks team.”
The Eagles will wrap up their three game weekend road trip with an afternoon game today (Sunday, Feb. 9) in Camrose against the Kodiaks. The Eagles swept the Kodiaks in a pair of games last weekend in Canmore. The two teams are both fighting for fourth-place and home-ice advantage in the upcoming AJHL playoffs.
NOTEBOOK: Lane Olson was named the Eagle’s “Star of the Game” last night. . . With his goal last night, Trey Phillips kept his AJHL league leading consecutive point streak alive at 14 games. With 56 points, Phillips is in seventh-place in AJHL overall scoring,