Tigers blow first period lead, fall to Hurricanes

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 2, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers started strong Friday night but could not hold on.

The Tigers led 1-0 after the first period before surrendering five straight goals to lose 6-3 in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes for the seventh time this year.

Beckett Langkow made 42 saves in his 22nd appearance of the season, his second start after missing a month of action from an injured finger.

The Tigers opened the scoring 6:49 into the contest when Rhett Parsons leaned into a shot from the point for his fifth goal of the year. Brayden Boehm and former Hurricane Logan Barlage had the assists on the lone goal of the frame.

The rest of the first period was a special teams extravaganza with the Tigers killing three penalties to the Hurricanes two. Langkow was kept busy in the crease turning aside all 23 shots in the frame, while the Tigers only put up eight themselves but led 1-0 after 20 minutes.

The Tigers picked up the offence early in the second when Boehm took a pass at the Hurricanes blue line from Barlage and blew past all the defenders before slipping the puck through Jared Picklyk’s five hole. Boehm’s seventh of the season came 35 seconds into the frame as the Hat looked to continue their momentum.

But Lethbridge took over the second period only a minute later when Tyson Laventure found the back of the net for the first of four Hurricane goals in the period. Alex Thacker scored twice and Brayden Edwards added his sixth of the season for the Hurricanes, who led in shots after 40 minute, 43-16, and led 4-2 where it counts most.

The Hurricanes continued their offensive prowl in the third. Hayden Smith took a pass from Laventure in the corner and fired it top shelf on Langkow to give them a 5-2 lead 5:24 into the final frame. Josh Van Mulligen drew the Tigers within one after ripping a point shot past Picklyk with 6:24 left in the game for his second of the season. Ashton Ferster and Boehm had the assists on the goal, giving Boehm three points on the night.

Kade Nolan scored minutes later for Lethbridge, who wrapped up the 6-3 win, their 28th of the season. Lethbridge continues to battle for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern conference, sitting five points ahead of the ninth-place Prince Albert Raiders.

Friday’s loss leaves Medicine Hat’s record at 11-47-3-1.

Across the ice from Langkow, Picklyk picked up his ninth win of the year, turning aside 28 of the 31 Tigers shots he faced.

The Tigers are back in action Saturday night for the second half of their home-and-home series with the Hurricanes and final matchup of the year with their Highway 3 rival. That game gets underway at 7 p.m. after a pre-game ceremony honouring Tigers longtime broadcaster Bob Ridley.

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