NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Liam Ruck (middle) celebrates his power play goal in the first period of a 4-3 win Tuesday at Co-op Place over the Calgary Hitmen.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Tuesday was a night of rebounds for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
They got back in the win column, beating the Calgary Hitmen 4-3 at Co-op Place, answering their team record win streak snapped Saturday with an 8-5 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders.
The Tigers trailed 1-0 in the first before rattling off four straight goals, holding on for their 32nd win of the season. The loss to the Raiders – just one point back of the Tigers for first in the Eastern conference – was a difficult one that required learning from, associate coach Joe Frazer says.
“There were some things we just have to continue to get better at and I thought we did a good job (Monday) watching and learning some of the things we have to improve on,” Frazer said. “I liked how we turned the page and got ready for the game.”
One of the focuses they hope to improve is their patience. Frazer says the pair of wins over the Edmonton Oil Kings and the loss to Prince Albert, both strong defensive teams, emphasized the importance of staying patient.
“You can’t force things, you have to be really good puck management wise because both those teams are really good defensively,” Frazer said. “You have to be patient with the game plan. I thought in the second period (Tuesday) we saw that and that’s how we want to play.”
Liam Ruck (26th, power play), Andrew Basha (fourth) Jonas Woo (24th) and Noah Davidson (13th) all scored.
Davidson’s goal came 8:53 into the third period, then a three-goal lead that turned into the game winner. Despite not playing the full game they wanted, Davidson says the ability to bounce back from the loss is a much-needed step.
“Down the stretch in playoffs, we’re not going to be up every game and we’re going to have to learn to come back and also play with the lead, so it’s very important,” Davidson said. “After coming off a 19-game heater and then losing the game, it’s maybe not as fun coming to the rink, but it’s huge to get the win and hopefully start a new streak.”
Tuesday’s win was also a rebound effort for starter Carter Casey, making 31 saves for his 11th win of the season. It was Casey’s first start since Jan. 9 when he allowed three goals on six shots in the first period before being pulled in the 8-3 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was also his first game with a .900 or better save percentage since Nov. 28.
“It feels really good to get an opportunity to get in net, and I felt like I took advantage of it,” Casey said. “The boys in front were really good and overall a great team win.”
He had to reset himself mid game after a mistake while trying to play the puck ended up in the back of his own net. The Grand Rapids, Minn. product takes pride in his puck handling ability and he was just as proud of how he handled the game after the blunder.
“I thought it was pretty good, obviously the first one, stuff like that happens, so I was proud of how I bounced back,” Casey said. “Mentally that can be a tough one, especially with the stretch that I’ve had personally the last little bit. So it was good. It was a tough first and then the boys picked it up and started playing really, really well, and made my life a lot easier.”
Casey was one of four Tigers named Wednesday to the WHL Prospects Game in February. The inaugural event, hosted Feb. 18 in Langley, B.C., will feature NHL Draft-eligible players selected based on NHL Central Scouting’s Midterm Rankings released Jan. 12.
Casey will join forwards Liam and Markus Ruck and Yaroslav Bryzgalov on Team East at the showcase game, the first all-WHL event of its kind since Jan. 19, 2000, when Kelowna hosted the 2000 WHL All-Star Game.
Liam Ruck was one of two players, alongside Raiders defenceman Daxon Rudolph, initially named to Team East on Dec. 10. The younger Ruck brother was ranked No. 26 by NHL Central scouting among North American skaters. He has 26 goals and 64 points in 44 games this season, leading the Tigers in points. Liam played for Team CHL at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November.
Markus Ruck is ranked 31st by NHL Central scouting, he leads the CHL with 51 assists in his sophomore season. He’s also tallied 11 goals for 62 points in 44 games, sitting third on the Tigers in points.
Bryzgalov has tallied seven goals and 34 points in 40 games in his first WHL season, ranked No. 99 by NHL Central Scouting.
Casey has appeared in 18 games for the Tigers in his first WHL season, running an 11-3-2 record with a 3.32 goals against average and a .876 save percentage. He’s recorded one shutout and is the No. 12th ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central scouting.
All 23 WHL Clubs are represented with at least one player on the roster, the Tigers, Prince Albert Raiders and the host Vancouver Giants all lead the way with four players on the East and West rosters respectively.
