Bad blood flows at Tigers home opener

By Ryan McCracken on September 24, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Medicine Hat Tigers and Lethbridge Hurricanes laid the framework for one hell of a Highway 3 rivalry to come on Saturday night at the Canalta Centre.

Hurricanes goaltender Reece Klassen weathered the storm with 27 saves to lock up a 4-2 victory over Medicine Hat on a night that featured no shortage of bad blood.

“I think it’s always been that way,” said Tigers captain James Hamblin, whose squad split the season-opening home-and-home set after Friday’s 5-2 win. “I don’t know what it is but we just seem to have that kind of fire against them. It’s always going to be like that. We look forward to those games, it was just a tough one today.”

Medicine Hat’s Bryan Lockner and Lethbridge’s Jackson Shepard made sure everyone in the building knew it was rivalry night by dropping the mitts for a spirited scrap just six seconds into the first period — setting the stage for a punishing battle to come.

“A lot of stuff happened last game and obviously he wanted to go. I’m not afraid to back down so it just happened there, I tried to get it going early,” said Lockner. “I’m not trying to be a goon out there. I’m trying to play my game and be a power forward but if I’ve got to protect my teammates or do something I’m ready to do anything for my team.”

Things took an ugly turn midway through the first period when Hurricanes centre Owen Blocker targeted Dalton Gally for a hit in the corner and went awkwardly into the boards. Blocker was taken off the ice on a stretcher after a lengthy delay and did not return.

“On the bench we just made sure we were ready to go after all that stuff happened. And obviously the boys got together after that,” said Ross, adding Blocker got back to his feet before the end of the game. “He’s walking around in the dressing room.”

Hurricanes winger Keltie Jeri-Leon finally broke the stalemate 40 seconds into the second period by beating Tigers goaltender Jordan Hollett for his first goal of the season, but Medicine Hat responded on special teams a few minutes later.

Lethbridge looked poised to double up on their lead when Henrik Rybinski was nabbed for goaltender interference, but Hamblin broke down the right wing and beat Klassen over the glove for his second goal of the year — and his team’s third shorthanded tally in two nights.

But the Hurricanes refused to fall into the same hole as the night before. Ross re-established Lethbridge’s lead at the 16-minute mark of the middle frame, then Dylan Cozens stretched the gap to two just over a minute later.

Staring down their first two-goal deficit of the season, the Tabbies jumped into action. Lockner started the road back by finishing off a cross-ice feed from Hamblin just 12 seconds after Cozens’ marker to put Medicine Hat back within striking distance after 40 minutes — but the Tigers ran into a wall named Klassen in the third.

Despite throwing 11 pucks at the ‘Canes netminder through the final frame, the Tigers were unable to sneak an equalizing goal into the cage, then Jake Elmer iced the game with a late empty-netter.

Hollett stopped 26 shots in the loss.

Medicine Hat’s power play went 0-for-8.

“I thought we could have buried a couple,” said Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston said of the man advantage. “We had some chances where we didn’t get all of it or we shot it right back at him —feeling a little bit of pressure to score. Sometimes when you press it doesn’t come off the stick properly. We were firing pucks high and wide. We would have been a lot better off making sure we hit the net then jump on a rebound or two.”

Medicine Hat and Lethbridge will meet eight more times this season.

The Tigers (1-1-0-0) return to the ice Wednesday in Edmonton against the Oil Kings (2-0-0-0).

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