The Stettler Imperials hosted the Coronation Royals in what was to become a dominating win on Dec. 3.
While the game got off to a late start due to a glass panel shattering minutes into the warm-up, when the two teams finally did hit the ice the Imperials struck early and often.
The first goal for the Imperials came under two minutes into the first period, on the second shot on goal. Brett Mulbach was credited with the goal.
Mulbach struck again with 13:22 remaining in the first period with a power goal while Coronation Royal Connor Bartlett was sitting in the penalty box.
Officials barely had time to pull the puck out the net before it again found its way past the Coronation goalie in a shot by Grant Matler.
After the first three goals, Coronation seemed to find their footing and stopped the bleeding, at least temporarily. While each team end up drawing a penalty to close out the first period, no further goals were scored for either side.
Shots at the end of the first were 14-5 for Stettler.
Heading into the second period, tempers began to flare. Stettler drew a penalty less than four minutes into the period, which they successfully killed off. Coronation then went onto the penalty-kill themselves, playing shorthanded for just about four straight minutes thanks to a pair of minor penalties handed out just about immediately one after another.
Stettler lit the goal light again just past the half-way mark of the period in a goal by Ethan Rost.
Heading into the final minutes of the second, tempers flared again with two intense fights occurring in under five minutes resulting in multiple players from both sides being sent off the ice to cool off, leaving the ice littered with gloves, helmets and hockey sticks.
At the end of the period, Stettler was up 4-0 with shots 33-11 for Stettler.
Aside from players finishing off their penalties from the second, more or less everyone was back on the bench and tempers had calmed in the third with both teams shifting to defensive hockey.
Stettler ended up drawing another penalty at around the 11-minute mark, which they again succeeded in killing off.
Just past the half-way mark of the third period, the Imperials went back on the attack with two goals under 30 seconds apart by Adam Ternes and Devan Shanks.
Ternes got on the board again two-and-a-half minutes later, with 7:32 remaining.
While Stettler ending up drawing one more penalty in the last five-minutes, the penalty-kill did their jobs and again held Coronation scoreless.
Coronation then ended up playing shorthanded for the remainder of the game with penalties around the 3:35 and the 1:52 remaining mark, giving Imperial Brendan Bardwell opportunity to squeak one more goal in with just under 45-seconds remaining.
Final shots were 50-21 in favour of Stettler.
After a Dec. 10 away victory against the Delburne Outlaws, the Stettler Imperials currently sit at fourth in the East Central Senior Men’s Hockey League with a Record of four wins and two losses in six games.
The Coronation Royals currently sit at eighth with one win, five losses, and one overtime loss.
Stettler is back at home Dec. 17 against the second-place Sedgewick Sabres with an 8 p.m. puck drop.