Tigers improve to 2-1 in pre-season with win over Rebels

By Medicine Hat News on September 14, 2019.

Ryan Chyzowski returned from Winnipeg Jets camp and made an immediate impact with his Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday night at Westerner Park Centrium.

The 19-year-old centre opened the scoring six minutes into the first period and went on to add an assist and an empty-netter to help his Tabbies secure their second straight pre-season win with a 5-3 victory over the Red Deer Rebels.

Red Deer responded well to Chyzowski’s opener, quickly taking over a 3-1 lead with goals from Arshdeep Bains, Zak Smith and Josh Tarzwell spanning less than six minutes. But the Tigers responded with some rapid-fire offence of their own. First Cole Sillinger cut into the lead by finishing off a feed from Chyzowski, then new Danish import Jonathan Brinkman knotted the game up just nine seconds later.

Tigers defenceman Cole Clayton kept the rally rolling early in the third, beating Rebels goaltender Ethan Anders with a power play tally to give Medicine Hat a lead they wouldn’t give up.

Red Deer tried to sneak another puck past Hat netminder Evan Fradette, but Chyzowski snuffed out any chance for overtime with an empty-netter in the final minute.

Fradette finished his pre-season debut with a 21-save victory, lifting the Tigers to 2-1-0-0 on the pre-season.

Anders stopped 26 in the loss, dropping Red Deer to 1-2-1-0.

The Tigers close out their pre-season schedule Saturday in Taber against the Calgary Hitmen at 7 p.m.