The Drumheller Dragons would start off the 2025 portion of their season on the road and unfortunately it wasn’t the start the team expected.
Friday, the team was in Canmore to face the first place Canmore Eagles. The previous two meetings were close battles with both teams winning one of the games. Friday night started off close. The only goal scored in the first period was by Canmore’s Nolan Kazeil at 6:49 giving the Eagles the 1-0 lead.
Things would fall apart for the Dragons in the second period. Drumheller would get into penalty trouble and the Eagles powerplay was lethal. Canmore’s Rhett Dekowny would score at 2:59. Then, only 18 seconds later, he would score his second of the game, making it 3-0 Canmore. Under a minute later, again on the man advantage, Kayden Rawji from the Eagles would score, giving Canmore the 4-0 lead less than five minutes into the second. Some hope for the Dragons with 9:39 left in the period as Ellis Mieyette would score his seventh of the season, from Will McLaughlin, making it 4-1 Canmore. Only seconds later, the Dragons would again be on the penalty kill, and Canmore would add to their lead with a goal by Owen Jones. The Eagles powerplay was not done as with 4:29 left in the second, Cohen Daoust would score, making it 5-1 after two periods.
The Dragons would get one back early in the third period with Nathan Hawkins scoring his fifth of the year at 6:31, assisted by Ellis Mieyette. Canmore would add one more, again on the powerplay, at 11:18 when Cohen Daoust scored his second of the game making it 7-2 Eagles, and that’s how the game would end.
Shots on Goal
Drumheller – 30
Canmore – 40
Power Plays
Drumheller – 0/5
Canmore – 6/11
3 Stars
- Kayden Rawji CAN (1 G, 3 A)
- Aidan Tkachuk CAN (2 A)
- Cohen Daoust CAN (2 G)
The Dragons were hoping for a bounce back game on Sunday afternoon in Calgary but knew it was going to be a tough matchup against the Canucks.
Calgary was ready and opened the scoring 7:35 in with a goal by Gavin Schmidt, making it 1-0 Canucks. Just over two minutes later, with only seconds left on their power play, the Canucks Jack Plandowski scored giving Calgary the 2-0 lead. The Canucks would add one more before the end of the period with Matthew Paszkiewicz scoring with 5:23 left in the first, making it 3-0 Calgary after one.
In the second, Gavin Schmidt for the Canucks would score his second of the game at 5:57, making it 4-0 Calgary. Drumheller would get on the board when Ellis Mieyette scored his second goal in two games, and eighth of the year, from Will McLaughlin at 7:00, cutting the deficit to 4-1. With 4:43 left, they don’t have it marked as a power play goal but it would be when Calgary’s Bowden Singleton scored, making it 5-1 Canucks. The Dragons would add one before the end of the second as Hudson Gainer would score his first of the season, from Bradley Gallo and Tate Yule, making it 5-2 Calgary after two periods.
The Canucks would add one more in the third when former Blackfalds Bulldogs forward Jayden Joly scored at 9:22, giving Calgary the 6-2 lead. With 4:27 left, on the power play, Luca Dufour would score his fourth of the season for the Dragons, assisted by Kai Matthew and Allen Sherpa, making it 6-3 Canucks and that’s how the game would end up.
Shots on Goal
Drumheller – 31
Calgary – 30
Power Play
Drumheller – 1/2
Calgary – 2/4
Game Stars
Drumheller – Hudson Gainer (1st goal of the season)
Calgary – Jack Plandowski (1 G, 2 A)
The Dragons will look to get back in the win column on Friday night but the test will be difficult as the Calgary Canucks will be the opponent. The good news is that the game is at home in the Den (The Memorial Arena). Game time on Friday is at 7 PM and listen to the Jason Blanke Show Friday morning to win a pair of tickets for the game.
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