NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN Medicine Hat Tigers forward Corson Hopwo (16) takes a check in front from Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman Dom Schmiemann during a Western Hockey League game at the Canalta Centre on Saturday.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
A flash of leather snuffed out a three-game winning streak on Saturday night at the Canalta Centre.
After allowing an empty-netter with just over three minutes left in regulation, the Medicine Hat Tigers struck for two late goals to narrow a three-goal gap to just one, but a buzzer-beating glove save by Brandon Wheat Kings goaltender Jiri Patera put an end to the wild run in a 4-3 loss.
“He was lights out,” Tigers assistant coach Ryan Smith said of Patera, who made 35 saves in the victory. “He was snagging pucks and playing them, he was square to the puck. Even when it was scrambly he seemed to know where the puck was. He’s a good goalie, he’s hot right now and he carried that into tonight.”
Medicine Hat slipped to third in the Central Division standings with the setback, now 32-15-1-1 on the season. The Lethbridge Hurricanes (30-12-2-5) picked up a 5-4 win over the Blades in Saskatoon Saturday, catapulting them past the Tigers for second with a one-point edge.
Brandon grabbed Saturday’s early lead when Duncan Pierce won a puck race in the offensive end and beat Hat netminder Mads Søgaard to the top corner just over six minutes into the game.
The Tigers shifted momentum in their favour and put 13 shots on Patera while holding the Wheaties to just seven, but they left the ice at intermission in a one-goal deficit.
“That’s the way he’s been playing,” Wheat Kings head coach Dave Lowry said of his Czech goaltender. “He did more than enough to help us win a hockey game. When we do make mistakes, he’s giving us an opportunity.”
Medicine Hat earned another chance to equalize early in the second when Jake Chiasson was booked for slashing, and Bryan Lockner converted with one second left on the opportunity – beating Patera upstairs for his 10th of the season, and second in as many nights.
The Wheat Kings muscled their way back in front a few minutes later when a questionable hit on James Hamblin in the attacking zone opened the door for Ben McCartney to steal back the lead at the other end of the ice.
Hamblin was shaken up but returned later in the period and finished the game.
“I cut to the middle and I think there was something there – he gets his leg into mine,” said Hamblin. “But they make a call, it’s their read. I don’t agree with it, but there’s nothing I can do. I’ve just got to move on from it.”
Brandon extended the lead in the final minute of the second when Vincent Iorio beat Søgaard on a power play with Dru Krebs in the box for interference. The call and ensuing goal drew another chorus of boos from the crowd of 2,950, while giving Brandon a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes despite being outshot 23-13.
“I thought the officiating was brutal tonight,” said Lockner. “It sucks when we’ve been on the kill this whole past three games, it feels like. But we’re working hard, we’re not going to quit, we’re going to keep going.”
Medicine Hat pressured for a road back in the third, but Patera continued to stymie the Tigers at every opportunity until Søgaard left the crease with just over three minutes left in regulation.
Luka Burzan almost immediately hit the empty net to make it 4-1, then the Tigers kicked things into gear.
Daniel Baker answered for Medicine Hat just 12 seconds later, then Brett Kemp jammed in a rebound with 62 seconds remaining to bring the crowd to its feet – Patera stepped up to rob Hamblin with less than a second left and secure the win for Brandon.
“We probably got a little too frustrated with some of the calls that were being made,” said Tigers defenceman Dylan Plouffe. “But I think, in the end, we didn’t let that drain us out there. We had a good rally at the end and I think that just shows our team has a lot of heart.”
Søgaard stopped 15 shots in the loss.
Medicine Hat product Lincoln Koberinski was called on to serve an emergency goaltending backup for Brandon Saturday, though Patera’s performance held him to the bench. Brandon improved to 27-19-2-2 with the win.
The Tabbies entered the game without forwards Elijah Brown and Cole Sillinger. Brown has been out since suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 7, while Sillinger left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and did not return. Brown is expected to miss another two weeks, while Sillinger’s status is still up in the air.
“He’s being assessed,” Smith said of Sillinger. “He’s not in the lineup this weekend and we missed him, and we missed Brown. Hopefully we can get him back in ASAP.”
The Tigers return to the Canalta Centre Wednesday to host the Prince Albert Raiders at 7 p.m. before heading into Brandon for a rematch on Friday.
“It’ll be nice to get back at them and we’re hoping to be on the other side of the scoresheet this time,” said Plouffe. “It’s getting us prepared for the playoffs and that’s the epitome of a playoff game right there.”
