Medicine Hat News
The Medicine Hat Tigers were involved in two shutouts on the holiday long weekend, but had to settle for a split.
After Jordan Hollett’s 26-save blanking of the Tri-City Americans Saturday, Medicine Hat was held off the score sheet Monday in Cranbrook thanks to a 45-save performance by ex-Tiger Duncan McGovern.
Hollett’s big night in Kennewick, Wash. resulted in a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Elijah Brown and Hayden Ostir. Brown redirected a feed from Dawson Heathcote past Ams goalie Beck Warm mid-way through the first period Saturday, then Ostir found some space to snap a shot in with 14 minutes to go in the third.
The Tigers killed a hooking penalty on Brown, then held tight as Tri-City pulled Warm for the last two minutes for an extra attacker.
On Monday, McGovern’s sturdy performance led the Kootenay Ice to a 5-0 decision. He was buoyed by two goals in 17 seconds early in the first period. Brendan Semchuk and Keenan Taphorn made it 2-0, then Davis Murray added another before the first flood in front of an announced crowd of 2,133.
Brad Ginnell made it 4-0 with 4:34 gone in the second period, then Sam Huston rounded out the scoring 1:17 into the third.
McGovern, 18, is 2-3 against the team he started his WHL career with in 2016.
Hollett, whose Saturday shutout was his first in orange and black and third in major-junior, made 29 saves Monday.
Now 3-5-0-1, the Tigers have played seven of their first nine games on the road but now play eight of their next 11 at Canalta Centre, including games this Friday (against Prince George) and Saturday (against Kootenay).
They’ll have to make an official decision on their 20-year-old situation by then, though Ryan Jevne, Dylan MacPherson and Linus Nassen have been the overagers in the lineup since MacPherson and Nassen were returned by the Florida Panthers last week. Dalton Gally, the other overager on the roster, hasn’t played in that span. The team has to narrow down to three overagers by Wednesday.
