Which, as it turns out, is exactly the situation.
The Eastern Conference-leading Oil Kings – 16 wins and 37 points better than the Warriors at this point in the season – took a period to get going, but once they did it was all hands on deck as Edmonton would go on to a 5-0 victory at Rexall Place.
Adam Evanoff would get the start in goal and turned aside 15 shots in the opening frame before the Oil Kings would break through early in the second.
Brendan Kuny and Carter Souch scored just over two minutes apart early in the period before Riley Sawchuk and Scott Atkinson added insurance markers three minutes apart midway through the frame.
Jackson Berry would take over for Evanoff in goal after the second period, with the Warriors 19-year-old having stopped 30 shots in his 40 minutes of work. Berry would make 19 saves in the third and was beaten once, with Liam Keeler scoring Edmonton’s fifth goal at the 4:31 mark.
Sebastian Cossa went the distance in goal for the Oil Kings, turning aside 14 shots to earn the shutout.
Edmonton was 1-for-3 on the power play, the Warriors 0-for-5.
The loss dropped the Warriors to 10-21-2-0 and sees the Tribe sitting second-last in the Eastern Conference, four points back of Regina and points ahead of Swift Current. Edmonton is now 26-7-5-2 and holds a seven-point lead over Lethbridge for top spot in the Conference and leads Portland by three points for first in the WHL.
The Warriors are back in action tonight when they travel to Red Deer before taking on the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday. Next home action for the Warriors is Wednesday, Jan. 8 in a rematch with the Oil Kings. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
