Early lead vanishes in shootout loss to Warriors

By Ryan McCracken on October 29, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

Two years ago, Josh Brook and the Moose Jaw Warriors fell victim to a monumental comeback at the Canalta Centre — blowing a four-goal lead in the third before falling in overtime — but on Saturday night they finally returned the favour.

Brook says he remembers that night well, which made erasing a late three-goal deficit and stealing a 4-3 shootout victory from the Medicine Hat Tigers all the more satisfying, even two seasons later.

“It feels sweet coming back like they did that time,” said Brook. “Going into the third we knew we had to take it to them. They were up but we just kept hounding them and pucks started going in.”

Tigers goaltender Mads Søgaard did all he could to keep his team in front, stopping 13-of-16 in the third period before adding three more saves in overtime and allowing just a single goal in the shootout off Tristin Langan, but it wasn’t enough to leave the ice with both points.

“He gave us a chance to win,” said Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston. “He was real good again.”

Hayden Ostir broke an early stalemate when he jammed in a rebound with just less than five minutes remaining in the first. Moose Jaw nearly escaped the frame without any further damage after killing off a late penalty to Langan, but Tigers defenceman Cole Clayton pounced on a neutral zone turnover and quickly found Tyler Preziuso streaking to the net to put Medicine Hat up by a pair through 20 minutes.

Moose Jaw took back some momentum in the middle frame —generating some sustained zone pressure and putting six pucks on net in the period — but they were unable to solve Søgaard and Medicine Hat’s two-goal padding carried over to the third.

The Tigers tacked on early in the final frame when Elijah Brown found Jaxon Steele for the second goal of his career —and his second in as many nights — shortly after Warriors defenceman Matthew Benson took a puck to the mouth and went down in a heap.

“We had them there in the third,” said Tigers captain James Hamblin. “I think we sat back on our heels a little bit too much and they really came at us.”

Moose Jaw started the road back just two minutes later when Tate Popple picked up a feed from Dalton Hamaliuk and fired it past Søgaard from the slot to spark life on the Warrior bench.

Brook cut the deficit to one by creeping in from the point and re-directing a puck past Søgaard with seven minutes remaining, then Brayden Tracey scored with 19.9 seconds left to force overtime.

“It looked like we were waiting for the clock to run down instead of maybe looking for another one or putting some pressure on them,” said Clouston. “It was our third game in four nights, I’m not making excuses, but we looked a little bit tired. Sometimes you can dig down and fight through that a little bit and find more energy. We just didn’t quite do that.”

Warriors goaltender Brodan Salmond turned away 24 shots through 65 minutes then stopped James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner and Josh Williams in the shootout to complete the comeback victory and push Moose Jaw to 6-4-3-0 on the season.

“He played awesome,” said Brook. “He gave us so much confidence back there and that’s what you need from your goalie.”

Søgaard stopped 29 in the loss, his third trip to the shootout in just seven Western Hockey League appearances, dropping Medicine Hat to 8-6-0-2.

Preziuso and Hamblin both extended their point streaks in the loss. Preziuso has six goals and six assists over the past seven games while Hamblin has five goals and six assists in a six-game span.

The Tigers hit the road to face the Calgary Hitmen Friday at the Saddledome.

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