Tigers 12-game win streak snapped, U.S. trip ends with shootout loss to Seattle

By James Tubb on February 1, 2025.

The Medicine Hat Tigers go winless in Seattle on Saturday to end the U.S. division road trip.

The Tigers scored twice in the third period to grab a lead, ultimately falling in the 11th round of the shootout to the Thunderbirds. Saturday’s loss snaps the Tigers’ win streak at 12 games and ends their U.S. division road trip with a 5-0-0-1 record.

Head coach Willie Desjardins, speaking with the News from Seattle, called it a character night for his team.

“The boys played really hard, coming in down in the third the boys battle back, got a lead,” Desjardins said. “They were great, lots and lots of heart, a really, really great effort.”

A scoreless first period was still an eventful frame between the Tigers and Thunderbirds.

Just 2:52 into the game, defenceman Bryce Pickford and Thunderbird Jaxson Pawlenchuk dropped the gloves at centre ice for a fight that upon it’s completion, saw both combatants eventually head down their respective tunnels and not return to the game.

Medicine Hat came into the contest with Nashville Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk a late scratch after blocking a shot in the third period of Friday’s 7-2 win over the Portland Winterhawks. Desjardins says Pickford will have to be evaluated and he says Molendyk wasn’t held out for precaution and was just unable to play.

The Tigers  led the opening period in chances, 14-10, with a pair of breakaway chances turned aside by Scott Ratzlaff.

Seattle took early momentum in the second period with a pair of goals.

At 6:16, Coster Dunn scored five seconds into a power play with a goal off a face-off. Radim Mrtka fired a shot on net that Dunn knocked in, giving Mrtka an assist on Dunn’s 17th goal of the season. The Thunderbirds struck again at 14:02, with Matej Pekar capitalizing on a turnover. A Tiger defender missed on a breakout pass at the blue line and the 17-year-old Pekar picked up the loose puck and scored his 10th of the season for the 2-0 lead.

Just before Seattle made it 2-0, Tigers’ starter Jordan Switzer went down after a breakaway. Dunn skated in with Jonas Woo draped all over him and the Seattle forward ran into Switzer after trying to go wide with the puck, sending the net minder into a flurry of grabbing his leg as play continued.

The 18-year-old net minder was able to stay in the game for the period but was relieved by Harrison Meneghin to start the third period. Switzer’s night finished with 22 saves. Desjardins says they’ll also have to get the goaltender evaluated.

Medicine Hat got on the board with 2:54 left in the second period, finally getting a puck past Ratzlaff. Ward carried the puck up ice from the Tiger end, breaking into the Seattle zone before dishing a pass to St. Martin who fired home his 31st of the season to make it a 2-1 Seattle lead after 40 minutes.

The Tigers put pressure on the Thunderbirds in the middle of the third, but Seattle held strong. A blast from the point knocked out one of Simon Lovsin’s skate blade, sending him flailing on the ice. The Thunderbird penalty kill was able to hold strong, eventually sending the puck out of their end to maintain the 2-1 lead.

Medicine Hat struck on a later power play, tying the game up at 2-2. St. Martin flew up ice, taking a pass from Gavin McKenna inside the Seattle end before scoring bar-down for his second of the night and 32nd of the season. With the assist on the 2-2 goal at 9:48, McKenna extended his point streak to 26 games.

The 17-year-old phenom grabbed the lead for the Tigers later in the frame. With 7:07 left on the clock, McKenna picked up the puck off a pass from Ryder Ritchie in the Seattle end and he tried to send a pass to Oasiz Wiesblatt in the slot but it bounced off a defender’s skate. McKenna fired the puck instead, finding twine for his 27th of the season and the 3-2 lead at 12:53.

Seattle tied the game up at 3-3 with 5:37 left in the game. A loose puck danced around the side of the net with Meneghin appearing to cover it with his glove. It was poked loose by Lovsin, finding Hayden Pakkala’s stick and the former Lethbridge Hurricane scored to knot the game up, electrifying the 4,535 in attendance. Regulation came to a close, with each team picking up a point.

Seattle had a power play in overtime, outshooting the Tigers 7-1 in the extra frame but couldn’t solve Meneghin as the contest headed to a shootout. Meneghin finished his night with 14 saves, Seattle outshot the Tigers 40-34 and won the face-off battle 32-31. Both teams were 1-6 on the power play.

The shootout was lengthy, Medicine Hat had five chances to win it but the night finished in the 11th round with a goal from Mrtka to snap the Tigers’ win streak and hand them the first loss of the U.S. division trip. Wiesblatt, Liam Ruck and Marcus Pacheco scored for the Tigers in the shootout.

The Tigers (33-15-2-1) are off until Feb. 7 when they host the Swift Current Broncos at Co-op Place.

Game Notes

Three Stars

First star: SEA Simon Lovsin (1A)

Second star: SEA Radim Mrtka (1A, SO winner)

Third star: SEA Scott Ratzlaff (31 saves)

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