Tabbies face tough schedule ahead in middle of losing streak

By James Tubb on December 2, 2021.

The schedule isn’t getting any easier for the slumping Medicine Hat Tigers.

Their next three games come against the Edmonton Oil Kings, who got significantly better through trade on Wednesday, and the Brandon Wheat Kings, who beat the Tigers 7-4 last Friday. 

Medicine Hat is riding a 12-game losing streak after losing both matchups on their Manitoba road trip last weekend, including a 7-2 loss to the CHL’s best Winnipeg Ice last Saturday.

They face a tough stretch as they head into Edmonton on Friday before hosting the Wheat Kings on Saturday in the Teddy Bear Toss game. The Tigers then hit the road for back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday in Brandon and Regina.

Head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins says the Tigers had a chance to get back in both losses in Manitoba but have a challenging stretch ahead.

“Both teams, five on five, the chances were pretty close — it’s not like we got dominated,” Desjardins said. “It’s hard, every team you play is a good team and we are just at a point in our schedule right now where it is a challenge.”

Desjardins says the Tigers need to get better defensively and limit odd-man rushes if they want to get back to winning, and he says the team sees what’s needed to be fixed.

“They self assess pretty well where they are at. I think because you’re not scoring you press a little bit hard and you get too many guys low and that’s what creates the odd numbers,” Desjardins said. “So, it’s not that they aren’t trying it’s just it seems whatever they are trying right now it’s not working and that’s frustrating for them.”

The Tigers will likely get the first look at Kaiden Guhle in an Oil King jersey Friday as the NHL prospect was traded from the Prince Albert Raiders to Edmonton on Wednesday. When asked if the WHL trade market shaping up has had the Tigers considering making moves, Desjardins said they’re always looking to get better but doesn’t know if he would consider a move.

“We’re real happy with the guys we got, too,” Desjardins said. “We have good people, some good players, so it’s not that we are sitting here thinking we have to get guys out of here, we don’t, we like our guys. We just have to see where the year goes.”

One positive for the Tigers in the middle of their 12-game losing streak has been the emergence of rookie Andrew Basha. 

The 16-year-old Calgary product has donned the orange and black for the last three games. While he hasn’t had his first WHL point yet, he has been a source of energy for the slumping Tigers. Desjardins says he has started to show he fits.

“He’s been good, he’s a really skilled player and he’s got good skills. I think he’s fit right in and he’s a guy that will certainly have a good future here,” Desjardins said. Puck drop for Saturday’s Teddy Bear Toss game against Brandon is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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