THE BRANDON SUN
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow deflects a shot on net by Nolan Ritchie of the Brandon Wheat Kings during the Tigers 2-0 loss at Westoba Place on Wednesday.
The Medicine Hat Tigers were held off the scoresheet Wednesday night for the second time this season.
The Tigers were shut out 2-0 in Brandon against the Wheat Kings for their second loss in a row. Medicine Hat lost 3-1 in Winnipeg against the Ice on Tuesday as they wrap up the season slate against the Manitoba teams.
Both teams traded chances in the first period with the Tigers outshooting the Wheat Kings 8-7.
Brandon opened the scoring 5:19 into the second frame with Zakhar Polshakov’s seventh goal of the season. The Wheat King fired a shutoff net minder Beckett Langkow’s shoulder and into the net. Dawson Pasternak and Quinn Mantei had the assists on the game winner.
The Tigers pushed in the third period, outshooting Brandon 26-25 in the game. With Langkow on the bench and an extra attacker on the ice in the final minute while on the penalty kill, it was the Wheat Kings capitalizing on the empty net. Nolan Ritchie had the final touch on the puck for his 24th goal of the year, putting Brandon ahead 2-0 with 25 seconds left in the game. Mantei had the lone assist on the empty netter.
Langkow ended his night with 23 saves, across the ice from him Brandon goaltender Nicholas Jones picked up his first career shutout in the win, turning aside all 26 shots he faced.
The Tigers (26-26-8-1) remain in seventh place in the Eastern conference playoff hunt due to wins by the Edmonton Oil Kings and Saskatoon Blades against the sixth place Regina Pats and eighth place Swift Current Broncos respectively.
Medicine Hat’s next action is set for Saturday when they host Connor Bedard and the Pats at an expected sold out Co-op Place for their final matchup of the season.
