Butcher out for Game 4

By Ryan McCracken on April 2, 2015.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com
@MHNMcCracken 
RED DEER

Medicine Hat Tigers right winger Chad Butcher is likely to miss tonight’s Game 4 against the Red Deer Rebels due to a hand injury sustained blocking a shot in the first period of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss in Red Deer.

“It’s a little sore right now,” said Butcher, who was seen wearing a hand splint Thursday morning at the Enmax Centrium. “It was kind of a tough play. It was a one-timer and I was in the lane. There wasn’t much I could do. That’s the way it goes I guess.”

Butcher immediately threw off his glove and skated to the bench. He was taken back to the dressing room for evaluation, but returned later in the first period and finished the game.

“We kind of thought that it was bruised and it wasn’t that big of a deal,” said Butcher. “I went back out there and played with some pain, but it’s playoffs so you have to do that sometimes.”

Butcher had 20 goals and 31 assists in the regular season for Medicine Hat, and has been an important part of the Tigers roster through three post-season games. Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston added the line combinations will likely see some changes heading into Game 4.

“We had to make a couple of adjustments,” said Clouston, adding they will take things game-by-game with Butcher. “We’ll probably add (Mark) Rassell.”

Game 4 will see Matt Bradley move up to centre the second line with Markus Eisenschmid and Dryden Hunt, while Chad Labelle will take the ice alongside Anthony Ast and Blake Penner.

It’s a difficult pill to swallow for the Kamloops, B.C. native, but Butcher says he will be re-evaluated when the team makes the trip back to Medicine Hat in the hopes of returning to the ice before the series concludes.

“It’s tough, obviously you want to be out there with your teammates,” said Butcher. “We need to get back to our game and shut them down and put some goals in the back of the net.”

The puck drops for Game 4 tonight at 7 p.m. Medicine Hat leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

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