Tigers score twice, lose on road to Calgary

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 31, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers almost made the comeback Wednesday night.

Garin Bjorklund made 36 saves as the Tigers nearly completed a two-goal comeback, falling 3-2 on the road in Calgary against the Hitmen.

The Tigers entered Wednesday’s contest having been shutout in their previous three matchups and only managing one goal in the last four.

Calgary jumped ahead 2-0 before the game turned 10 minutes old. Blake Stevenson scored his 23rd of the year 1:47 into the game to get the Hitmen on the board, and Mason Finley potted his second of the campaign 8:02 later for the two-goal lead.

The Tigers snapped a 226-minute goalless streak over halfway through the frame when Andrew Basha took a cross-ice pass on the blue line from Oasiz Wiesblatt and fired it top shelf over Hitmen goaltender Ethan Buenaventura’s shoulder. Noah Danielson picked up the second assist on Basha’s fourth of the season.

Before the first period could draw to a close, Cael Zimmerman jumped all over a rebound in front of Tigers net minder Bjorklund and found the back of the net with three seconds left to give Calgary a first period lead of 3-1.

Both teams traded chances and penalties in the second period as the Central Division rivalry heated up in their final meeting of the season. Neither the Hitmen or Tigers capitalized on the man advantage through 40 minutes as the second period was majority spent at four on four but was a battle of the goaltenders. Bjorklund made multiple high danger saves in the frame to keep the Tigers deficit at two.

Tensions boiled over in the latter half of the period when Tigers rookie Steven Arp laid a hit on Calgary D-man Tyson Galloway who got up and instigated a fight with Arp.

Calgary held onto their 3-1 lead after the second and also led the Tigers in shots, with 31 to the Tabbies 22.

After an offensively quiet second period, the Tigers sparked the drama early in the third. Owen MacNeil was turned aside on a short handed breakaway in the second frame and made up for that as he picked up a loose puck in the slot and sent it top shelf past Buenaventura to bring Medicine Hat within one. MacNeil’s ninth of the year came 4:09 into the game’s final frame.

The Tigers picked up steam late in the third as they kept up the pressure on the Hitmen that included a late power play with Bjorklund on the bench but could not find the back of the net and Calgary held on for the 3-2 win.

Buenaventura made 26 saves between the pipes for Calgary.

The Tigers are back in action this Friday and Saturday with a home-and-home series with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. They head down Highway 3 Friday night before hosting the Hurricanes Saturday at Co-op Place for their final matchup of the season. Ahead of Saturday’s contest, the Tigers are honouring longtime broadcaster Bob Ridley with a special banner.

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