PHOTO COURTESY RUSS ALMAN/WENATCHEE WILD
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer makes a diving save in the third period of a 5-2 Tigers win Tuesday at Wenatchee over the Wild.
The Medicine Hat Tigers continue their winning ways in the United States.
A three-goal first period propelled the Tigers over the Wenatchee Wild Tuesday night, winning 5-2 for a 10th win in a row.
It’s the first time the Tigers have recorded 10 straight wins since the 2016-17 season.
The five-goal win also propels the Tigers over the 200-goal plateau.
Tigers opened the scoring 26 seconds into the game, with Gavin McKenna banking a puck off a defender’s stick into the net off a pass on an odd man rush. Oasiz Wiesblatt with the lone assist on McKenna’s 22nd of the season. The goal extends his point streak to 23 games, tying the longest streak in the WHL this season, set by Calgary Hitmen Ben Kindel.
They added another pair in the first, with a rush goal from Mat Ward. Marcus Pacheco made the exit pass from the Tiger end to Hunter St. Martin in the neutral zone and he spun around a defender, before skating into the Wenatchee end to set Ward up at 8:03 for his 13th.
They rounded out the frame with a solo effort from Wiesblatt. The 20-year-old ducked under a check and off a stride, wired a shot top shelf for his 22nd and the 3-0 lead with 2:35 left in the first. Veeti Väisänen and Niilopekka Muhonen had the assists.
Wenatchee scored 6:59 into the middle frame, with a five-hole goal from Luka Scherbyna off a turnover.
The Tigers regained the three-goal lead on a breakaway.
Jonas Woo blocked a shot in the Tigers’ end and sent a pass to Ryder Ritchie all alone in the neutral zone. He skated in and scored his 18th of the season, making it a 4-1 lead at 10:08. Medicine Hat led the game in shots 16-14 through 40 minutes.
Wenatchee opened the scoring in the third, with a rebound goal from Tye Spencer at 10:07, making it a 4-2 Tigers’ lead.
Jordan Switzer finished his night with 22 saves, including three highlight reel stops in the third.
Hunter St. Martin iced the game with a shorthanded, empty net goal for the 5-2 final. Wiesblatt and Bryce Pickford had the assists on St. Martin’s team-leading 29th and WHL leading sixth shorthanded goal.
The shots finished 25-25. Both team’s penalty kills had strong nights, with both power plays held scoreless on three chances each. The Wild won the face-off battle 26-24.
With the win, the Tigers remain perfect through the first-half of the U.S. division road trip, beating the Spokane Chiefs 3-2 in comeback fashion on Jan. 24 before topping the Tri-City Americans 3-1 on Jan. 25.
The Tigers (31-15-2) are back in action Wednesday, taking on the WHL-leading Everett Silvertips in a clash between conference leaders.
