Tigers spoil Makaj’s strong outing

By Ryan McCracken on February 6, 2019.

The Medicine Hat Tigers broke through a brick wall on Wednesday night at Western Financial Place.

Ryan Jevne finished with four points while Tyler Preziuso and Ryan Chyzowski each added three of their own to spoil Jesse Makaj’s 45-save outing with a 6-3 victory over the Kootenay Ice.

While Makaj held the Tigers off the board early and Kootenay’s Brad Ginnell struck first with Corson Hopwo in the box for elbowing, Medicine Hat kept up the pressure — outshooting the Ice 21-3 in the opening frame — and wore down Makaj’s defences before stealing away the lead late in the period.

Chyzowski tied things up by redirecting a feed from Jevne past Makaj on the power play with less than five minutes remaining the first, then Cole Clayton took over the lead on a shot through traffic with 58 seconds left in the period.

The offence picked things back up early in the second when Clayton pinched in from the point and found Tyler Preziuso in the slot for Medicine Hat’s second power play tally in as many opportunities.

Ice captain Peyton Krebs appeared to cut into the lead a few minutes later when he put a pass from Jaeger White past Hat netminder Mads Søgaard on an odd-man rush and celebrated as though he had scored, but a review determined the puck made contact with both posts but did not cross the line and the goal did not stand.

Krebs made up for the mishap on a power play in the dying minutes of the second period, this time sending a pass from White into the netting to leave Kootenay within striking distance after 40 minutes.

The Ice continued to chip away and Jakin Smallwood knotted the game up on a centring pass from Cole Muir six minutes into the third, but Jevne ensured their celebration was short-lived by stealing back the edge just 24 seconds later.

Medicine Hat’s man advantage went back to work late in the frame and Chyzowski converted on the chance by batting a puck out of the air for his second of the night and 18th of the season, then Jevne put the game away with an empty-netter.

Søgaard held on to collect a 23-save victory and push Medicine Hat to 29-18-2-2 on the season.

Kootenay fell to 11-33-7-1 with the loss.

Medicine Hat’s power play finished 3-for-4 on the night.

The Tigers continue their four-game road trip Friday in Everett (37-12-1-1) against the Silvertips at 8:35 p.m.