Tigers fall 4-3 Friday to Hitmen

By James Tubb on December 15, 2023.

The Medicine Hat Tigers made a comeback bid but could not cash in Friday night.

The Tigers lost 4-3 at Calgary to the Hitmen, snapping their four game win streak. Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 6-2 win Wednesday night at Lethbridge over the Hurricanes.

Calgary scored three times in the first period to take an early lead.

Fraser Leonard opened the scoring for the Hitmen, finding the back of the net 8:07 into the contest for his second of the season. Just over three minutes later, Brandon Gorzynski tickled twine with his second on the year for the 2-0 lead.

Calgary took advantage of a five-on-three man advantage as Sean Tschigerl scored his 14th of the season for the commanding 3-0 advantage with 2:22 left in the opening frame. The Tigers got on the board with a late-period goal from Cayden Lindstrom. The 17-year-old knocked in a rebound for his 27th of the season. Andrew Basha and Oasiz Wiesblatt had the helpers on the goal, making it a 3-1 game after 20 minutes, Calgary also led the frame in shots, 20-14.

The Tigers answered back in the second period to tie the game up at 3-3. Basha and Wiesblatt broke in to the Calgary end and the former onetime a pass from the latter for his 16th of the season. Josh Van Mulligen had the second helper. Tomas Mrsic tied the game up at 8:04 on a power play blast for his fifth on the year. Wiesblatt and Lindstrom had the assists on Mrsic’s goal.

Calgary scored late in the second, with Carter Yakemchuk knocking in a rebound off a breakaway opportunity to reestablish the Hitmen lead through 40 minutes. The Tigers pushed in the third period, outshooting the Hitmen 14-4 in the frame and 41-36 through the contest but couldn’t find the back of the net for the fourth time, falling 4-3.

Zach Zahara made 32 saves for his first loss of the season, he has a 7-1-0 record in eight appearances. Across the ice from him , Ethan Buenaventura made 38 saves for the win.

The Tigers (20-9-2) host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday at Co-op Place for their final game before the holidays.