The Trail Smoke Eaters made the first game following the Christmas break a memorable one for the season-high Cominco Arena crowd of 2,027.
Teagan Kendrick made 21 of his 37 saves in the third period, Gryphon Bucci potted a pair of goals, while newly acquired Josh Wiebe added a goal and an assist in his Smokies debut in a 6-1 win over Okotoks.
Drew Anastasio opened the scoring just shy of the seven minute mark, roofing a fine feed from Jason Stefanek who raced down the right wing, picking up his first of three assists.
Judah Makway, who pulled the puck that was precariously positioned off the goal line behind Kendrick in the opening seconds of the game, jammed in his 11th of the season on a wild goalmouth scramble on a goal that needed video confirmation to give Trail a 2-0 lead late in the first period.
The Oilers struck early in the second period.
Brett Wilson snapped a shot into the top corner just 35-seconds into the middle frame, using his three teammates as decoys on a four-man rush.
Trail defenseman Lucas Lemieux headed to the bench with an apparent injury after taking a hit at the Okotoks blue line before that rush, but returned to the game a couple of minutes later.
One of the game’s turning points came about five minutes later.
The Smoke Eaters killed off a 5-on-3 Oilers power play for 1:27, highlighted by an Issac Fecteau shot-block on the Oilers best chance of that two-man advantage.
Bucci restored the two-goal lead about nine minutes later from just outside the crease converting a Stefanek pass from the left-wing corner.
Kendrick did his best work early in the third period, turning back several Oilers chances, setting the stage for Bucci’s second goal of the night about 12-and-a-half minutes into the final frame.
Bucci’s attempted pass to Stefanek on a two-on-one break, deflected off the stick of an Oilers defender and over the back of goalie Olivier Ciarlo, who had kept his team close with second period breakaway saves off Dylan Lariviere and Lemieux.
Bucci had three shots at completing the hat-trick into the Oilers empty net.
His first missed the yawning cage, he was taken down in front of the net on the second and hit the post on the other.
Callas Pierce did deliver the dagger into the empty net after being set up by Wiebe with 18 seconds remaining and with just three seconds to go, Wiebe snapped home his first goal as a Smokie, showing a quick and accurate release from close range.
The Oilers outshot Trail 38-22, with the Smokies going 4-for-4 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.
The win also moved Trail a point past Salmon Arm and Sherwood Park into third place in the tight Interior Conference.
The Smokies host Blackfalds today (Sunday) to close out the first week of the second half.
The Bulldogs fell 3-2 Saturday night in Penticton, as the conference leading Vees had to battle back from a pair of one-goal deficits.
It was also the debut of Bulldogs Interim Head Coach, Ryan Tobler, who has taken over behind the bench from owner Doug Quinn.
The Bulldogs will try to end a 15-game losing streak against a Trail troupe trying to at least retrain their one-point hold on third place.
Opening face-off at Cominco Arena is set for 5 p.m.