Wheat Kings top Tigers to tie series at 2-2

By Ryan McCracken on March 28, 2018.

The Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference quarter-final series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Brandon Wheat Kings is now a best-of-three.

Five different Wheat Kings lit the lamp to lead Brandon back from a two-game series deficit and into a 2-2 tie with a 5-2 victory over Medicine Hat in Game 4 on Wednesday at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place.

Still buzzing from Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over Medicine Hat, the Wheat Kings carried the pace through the opening frame and took over their first early lead of the series when Daniel Bukac and Stelio Mattheos struck in succession in the final three minutes of the period.

Bukac notched Brandon’s first opening goal of the series when he picked up an errant centering pass from Ben McCartney and ripped the puck past Hat goaltender Michael Bullion — who started in favour of Jordan Hollett to close out the only back-to-back games in the series.

Mattheos tacked on with a highlight reel shot to the top corner just over a minute later to send the Wheaties into the dressing room with some insurance after out-shooting Medicine Hat 16-7 in the frame.

The Tigers tightened things up in the second, but a tripping penalty to Ryan Chyzowski opened the door for the Wheat Kings and Cole Reinhardt converted on the chance to stretch Brandon’s lead to three.

Tigers rookie Josh Williams put his team on the board when he found a loose puck in the slot and slapped it past Wheaties netminder Dylan Myskiw for his second of the post-season. But it was all the offence Medicine Hat would muster in the frame despite three power play chances — leaving the Tabbies 0-for-4 with the man advantage through 40 minutes after going 6-for-14 through the first three games of the series.

Medicine Hat’s struggles continued early in the third when Wheat Kings winger Linden McCorrister picked off a pass from Tyler Preziuso in the slot and quickly converted the turnover into another three-goal lead.

Tigers captain Mark Rassell kept hope alive when he caught Myskiw out of his net and jammed the puck across the line for his fifth goal of the series, but Gunnar Wegleitner pushed the game out reach after walking through the Hat defence and beating Bullion clean five minutes later.

Myskiw collected the 38-save victory to even up the series. Bullion stopped 31 in the loss.

Medicine Hat’s power play unit finished the game at 0-for-5. Brandon went 1-for-2 with the man advantage.

The Tigers and Wheat Kings return to the Canalta Centre for Game 5 on Friday at 7:30 p.m.