Tigers drop season opener

By Ryan McCracken on September 23, 2017.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Tigers found no redemption at the Enmax Centre on Friday.

Lethbridge Hurricanes goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots as his team rallied from an early deficit to secure a 5-2 season-opening victory over Medicine Hat in their first meeting since Game 7 of the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference semifinal.

“They’re a good hockey team and we needed to be a little simpler for the entire 60,” said Tigers head coach and general manager Shaun Clouston. “We did a good job but there’s not a lot of room for error and we just got a little sloppy in the second.”

Mark Rassell opened the scoring with a wraparound for his first goal as captain of the Tigers, but it was immediately answered by none other than newly appointed ‘Canes captain Giorgio Estephan.

Tigers centre Gary Haden re-established a narrow lead with his first of the year early in the second period, but penalty trouble caught up to Medicine Hat late in the frame. Hurricanes forward Dylan Cozens — known best for posting five points as an affiliate player in Lethbridge’s seven-game win over Medicine Hat in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinal — cashed in with Henry Rybinski in the box to draw even, then Jadon Joseph struck with four seconds left on the clock to steal away the lead with Max Gerlach sitting for roughing.

“It was a real close close hockey game, but there was a pretty big momentum swing late in the second,” said Clouston. “We had a couple sloppy shifts and then took a penalty and they scored on the power play and that really shifted the momentum.”

Medicine Hat had five veteran players missing from Friday’s lineup due to illness, injury and NHL camps, which allowed for an entire line of rookies in forwards Dawson Heathcote, Baxter Andersen and Rybinski — and Clouston says he was impressed by their ability to work the puck into the offensive zone.

“They did a good job. They spent a little more O-zone time or as much as the other lines. It was good,”he said. “They kept it simple, got the puck out, got the puck in and did some good things.”

The Enmax Centre erupted midway through the third period when Tabby blueliner Cole Clayton tripped up Joseph on a breakaway. While Tigers goaltender Michael Bullion shut the door on the ensuing penalty shot, the Hurricanes followed up the unsuccessful attempt with an insurance goal from Zane Franklin a few minutes later. The sophomore Hurricanes centre tipped a shot from Brady Pouteau past Bullion to establish the first two-goal lead of the game and the Tigers were unable to claw their way back from the deficit.

Joseph added an empty netter with just over two minutes left in regulation, bringing him to three points on the night.

Bullion took the loss after allowing five goals on 42 shots, while Lethbridge’s Stuart Skinner secured the victory with a 37-save performance.

The Tigers and Hurricanes make the trip down Highway 3 to the Canalta Centre for Medicine Hat’s home opener Saturday at 7:30 p.m.