The Medicine Hat Tigers outshot the Brandon Wheat Kings, overcame the hottest goalie in the WHL and tied Tuesday’s game with three minutes left on the clock.
But the Wheat Kings got what seems like a fortunate bounce, and wound up 4-3 winners.
At Westoba Place, Ridly Greig’s shot “banked in off (Tigers defenceman Cole) Clayton,” according to Brandon Sun reporter Perry Bergson with a half-second left on the clock.
Video review was needed to make sure the clock hadn’t hit zero, but it stood up.
Rookie Noah Danielson scored the second goal of his WHL career to tie the game for the visiting Tigers, who sent 47 shots towards CHL goalie of the week Jiri Patera. Cole Sillinger and Corson Hopwo added power play goals to give Medicine Hat a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes, but Ty Thorpe, shorthanded, then Geirg less than a minute later beat goalie Mads Sogaard to set up the wild finish.
An earlier penalty might be of the most consequence to the Tigers long-term. Brandon’s Dom Schmiemann was handed a game misconduct for boarding in the first period, Bergson reporting that Medicine Hat’s Elijah Brown did not return to the game after being hit.
Sogaard made 26 saves, James Hamblin played in his 300th WHL contest but the Tigers’ two-game win streak was snapped. Brandon (20-17-1-2) has now won five in a row.
Medicine Hat (25-12-1-1) next heads to Winnipeg tonight to face another hot team, the 24-14-1-0 Ice. The team that moved from Cranbrook last off-season has won five of its last six, including two against Prince Albert allowing the Ice to take over first place in the East Division.
