Tigers earn crucial split in Edmonton

By Ryan McCracken on March 25, 2019.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com
@MHNMcCracken

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oil Kings shook off their first loss since Feb. 15 and rallied back to split the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference quarter-final series with the Medicine Hat Tigers at a game apiece following a 4-3 victory in Game 2 on Sunday at Rogers Place.

The win comes after Hat goaltender Mads Søgaard stole Game 1 from the hands of the Oil Kings with 49 saves in a 2-1 victory Saturday. The 6-foot-7 Danish netminder went back at it in Game 2, keeping his Tigers in a 3-3 contest until the dying minutes of regulation before finally allowing a late game-winner off the stick of Quinn Benjafield.

Søgaard made 37 saves Sunday while watching his Tigers generate just 21 shots at the other end of the ice.

“He’s been solid. He’s given us a chance to win both games and he faced a lot of shots,” said Tigers assistant coach Joe Frazer. “To start the series you always want to try to split and we accomplished that.”

After spending more than 57 minutes searching for their first goal of the post-season in a narrow Game 1 loss, the Oil Kings wasted no time hitting Sunday’s scoresheet. Liam Keeler netted his first of the post-season just over two minutes into the game when he sent a pass from Josh Williams behind Søgaard on Edmonton’s first shot.

But Søgaard settled right into his crease and the Tabbies rallied back into the fray on two straight goals from overage blueliner Linus Nassen.

The 20-year-old Swede ripped a one-timer from James Hamblin past Dylan Myskiw on a power play nine minutes after Keeler’s tally, then jumped in on the rush and threaded a pass from Ryan Chyzowski through Myskiw’s wickets to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 lead at the break after being outshot 13-4 in the first. 

“His record against us this year has been pretty good, so that was really good for us and for our confidence going back home,” Nassen said of getting a few past Myskiw.

Edmonton kept the pace ramped up entering the second period, and Vince Loschiavo broke through to knot the game back up on a power play with seven minutes left in the frame.

“I thought we did play too much in our own zone,” said Tigers captain Hamblin. “We just need to get hard on the forecheck. We kind of let them break out too easily and it ended up too much in our zone.”

Søgaard’s second consecutive busy night continued later in the frame, but Brett Kemp stole back the lead for Medicine Hat on a power play by parking himself in front of Myskiw and getting a puck through with just over a minute remaining in the middle period.

Despite being outshot 31-12 through 40 minutes, Søgaard kept his Tabbies out in front entering the third — but the Oil Kings came knocking again seven minutes into the frame.

After generating some sustained pressure in Medicine Hat’s end, Oil Kings centre Andrew Fyten forced a turnover on the forecheck then fed Carter Souch to even things up with a snipe to the top corner.

Medicine Hat picked up the pace in the second half of the period, but the Oil Kings quickly turned things the other way and took over the offensive zone, then Benjafield stole back Edmonton’s lead with just less than three minutes left on the clock.

“Going down 0-2 would have been pretty scary so it’s good to get one,” said Benjafield, adding it’s been frustrating trying to solve Søgaard. “We’re getting lots of shots on the goalie and getting lots of scoring chances, but he’s their best player.”

Medicine Hat pushed for a late equalizer, but they were unable to slip another puck behind Myskiw — who collected the bounce-back win with 18 saves — and settled for a 1-1 split.

Søgaard steals Game 1

Myskiw may have been the story entering the series, but Søgaard stole the show in Game 1 — stopping 49 shots and holding off a late frenzy to snap Edmonton’s 11-game regular season winning streak in a 2-1 thriller.

The big Dane stopped all 13 shots he faced in the first period to weather an early storm and keep Medicine Hat in a scoreless stalemate. Søgaard went right back to work in the second, stopping Edmonton on a couple chances in close and setting the stage for James Hamblin to break the goose egg and a shorthanded highlight reel goal from Tyler Preziuso.

Edmonton came out desperately searching for a way back in the third, and former Tigers winger Williams — traded to the Oil Kings in exchange for Kemp at the trade deadline — kept the hope alive by snapping Søgaard’s shutout bid on the backhand with just over two minutes left on the clock.

The Tigers and Oil Kings head to the Canalta Centre for Game 3 on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

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