OLDS — As they prepare to head out on the road to Grande Prairie to face the Storm Friday, the Olds Grizzlys sit with 1-1 record after spitting their first two games of the season, a home-and-home series with the Drumheller Dragons this past weekend.
On Sept. 13, the Dragons spoiled the Grizzlys’ homeopener with a 9-4 win.
But the Grizzlys rebounded the next night, edging the Dragons 3-2 in Drumheller.
In that second game, the Dragons jumped out to a 1-0 lead with the lone goal of the first period, scored at the13:53 mark.
The Grizzlys answered back when Braeden Veldhuizen scored his first goal of the season at the 9:40 mark of the second period, assisted by Quinn Metzger.
The Dragons took the lead again the11:46 mark of that middle frame.
The Grizzlys sealed with win with two goals in the third period.
Mitchell Patrick evened the score at 2-2 with his third goal of the season, at the 7:16 mark, assisted by Veldhuizen and Gavin Bartha.
Jonathan Doucette scored the game-winner, his first of the season, at 13:14 of the third, assisted by Quinn Abbott and Veldhuizen.
Connor Johnson tended net for the entire game, stopping 30 of 32 shots sent his way.
The Grizzlys went 0/3 on the power play. The Dragons went 0/4.
Home bodies
On Friday, Sept. 13, the two teams tangled in the Grizzlys’ homeopener. The Dragons spoiled the party, winning 9-4.
The Grizzlys opened the scoring in that game when Patrick fired home his first of the season, a power play marker, at the 11:10 mark of the first period, assisted by Abbott and Doucette.
The Dragons evened the score at 1-1 with a power play goal of their own at the 15:03 mark.
The Grizzlys took a 2-1 lead at the 15:33 mark when Metzger scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Doucette and Justin Vandermeer.
However, the Dragons scored two goals in pretty quick succession at 16:17 and 17:03.
In the second period, Patrick scored his second goal of the season, a power marker, at 5:28, assisted by Veldhuizen and captain Connor Seeley.
Just a few seconds later, at 6:52, Aiden Connell scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Luca Dufour and Devon Winder.
After a series of penalties, including a couple of fighting and game misconducts, the Dragons scored a short-handed goal, the game winner, at 16:33.
In the third period, they padded that lead with four more goals.
The Grizzlys scored their final goal of the game at the 18:40 mark of the third period, when Esteban Labelle scored his first goal of the season, assisted by Patrick and Seeley.
Johnson went the distance in goal for the Grizzlys, stopping 24 of 33 shots on goal.
The Grizzlys went 2/5 on the power play, as did the Dragons.
Ice chips
The Grizzlys got their homeopener off to a fun start with their annual tail gate party.
