PHOTO COURTESY KEITH HERSMILLER/REGINA PATS
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford hammers a one timer past Regina Pats net minder Taylor Tabashniuk in the first period of an 11-2 win Tuesday night on the road.
Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Tigers kept the gas pedal pinned on Tuesday in Regina.
A five-goal third period and Liam Ruck’s first career WHL hat trick were simply exclamation points in an 11-2 win over the Pats.
Tuesday’s win was the Tigers’ seventh straight and brings them within two points of Prince Albert for the Eastern conference lead after the Red Deer Rebels upset the Raiders 4-3 in P.A. It was also the 10th time the Tigers have scored eight or more goals this season, with five of those bloated wins coming in their last 10 games.
A three-goal first period saw Bryce Pickford, Liam Ruck and Josh Van Mulligen all find the back of the net. Pickford’s goal, his 38th, gives him goals in five straight games.
The second period saw Luke Cozens, Kade Stengrim, Cam Parr, Andrew Basha, Van Mulligen and Liam Ruck all find the back of the net. Van Mulligen recorded his first multi-goal effort in the win, adding an assist for a three-point night.
Liam Ruck tallied the hat trick in the third period and Stengrim scored his second of the night. All three of Ruck’s goals required a review, his first period marker hitting the back bar fast enough play continued before the buzzer sounded to signal the goal. The second goal showed similar force, bouncing off the inside of the net with enough pace the on-ice official took some time to signal a goal. His third marker was reviewed for goaltender interference.
Eight Tigers recorded multi-point nights, Dayton Reschny had three assists, Markus Ruck had two assists to reach the 90-point plateau, he sits atop the WHL in points. Cozens, Pickford and Basha all had two-point nights.
Regina scored in the second and the third. Carter Casey, challenged with more than a handful of odd-man rushes, finished with 28 saves for his 16th win of the season.
The Tigers outshot Regina 43-30, both teams were 1-4 on the power play.
