NEWS PHOTO James Tubb
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Ethan Neutens tries to deke around Regina Pats defenceman Reese Hamilton in the third period of a 4-2, Game 2 loss Saturday at Co-op Place as Regina evened up the first-round series 1-1.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Early in the series between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Regina Pats, it’s the young dogs who have showed the most hunger.
The Tigers scored five unanswered goals to take Game 1 6-2 Friday but couldn’t combat the Pats on Saturday, falling 4-2 on an empty netter to lose Game 2 and see the first-round series evened up at 1-1.
“They played good (Friday) night and they played good again tonight, their forwards have lots of speed, they got on our (defence), I thought they just did a good job,” head coach Willie Desjardins said postgame Saturday.
“They’re hungrier than us right now. They won a lot of battles, they won more battles than us last night and we were able to find a way, but tonight, we just didn’t find a way.”
Regina opened the Game 2 scoring Saturday and after Ethan Neutens tied the game up the first, the Pats scored early in the second and then the third for a 3-1 lead. Markus Ruck scored with 13:31 left in the game to bring Medicine Hat within one before an empty netter iced the game.
Neutens has confidence in the group as they head on the road for two games, starting with Game 3 tonight in Regina, but the overage forward says they have to be better.
“I don’t think the last two games were our best to be completely honest, we have to wake up a little bit,’ Neutens said. “This game was a bit of a wakeup call. But that being said, I’m super confident in this group going forward, just onto the next game and one game at a time.”
Jordan Switzer finished with 16 saves Saturday, the same number of stops he made in the Game 1 win.
“I thought he was OK, I think that we’ll evaluate but I thought he was OK,” Desjardins said post game.
Through the first 20 minutes of Games 1 and 2, the Tigers accumulated 14 penalty minutes to the Pats four. Captain Bryce Pickford says discipline is a part of their game they’ll have to address as they head on the road.
“The discipline is the first thing we wrote on the board that we wanted this round,” Pickford said. “So going to Regina, it can get really loud. They’re going to play physical, they have been all round, so we just have to be ready for it.”
The Tigers’ roster came into Game 1 Friday with 329 games of WHL Playoffs experience to the Pats combined 60. Medicine Hat defenceman Jonas Woo entered the series opener with 58 playoff games by himself.
Desjardins isn’t a believer in experience, he says his team just has to find another level.
“What’s more important is your heart and what’s inside you than experience. When you get to playoff time, there’s a different team, and we have to find a way to get our intensity up and play hard.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have the want in us, lots of things can come in. You can think about the game too much, you can use all your energy before you get to the rink, lots of different things, but we need to be better.”
The Tigers were without forwards Luke Cozens and Cam Parr for both games, Tyson Moss also out of the lineup. Parr was a full participant in practice Monday, Cozens was in a non-contact jersey. Moss was also a limited participant.
Pickford, a two-time WHL Champion, wasn’t concerned postgame. He says they can’t get down on themselves.
“We knew they’re a good team, they’re always a good team but we just didn’t play our hockey (Saturday) and it happens, but we just have to bounce back,” Pickford said.
“You don’t really want to dread on it too much because if you do that, then it’ll just lead into more bad games. So kind of flip the page and be happy when you come to the rink.”
