Oil Kings hand Tigers first loss

By Ryan McCracken on March 5, 2021.

The Medicine Hat Tigers were handed their first loss of the Western Hockey League season in a 4-2 setback to the Edmonton Oil Kings on the road Friday.

Edmonton took over a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on goals from Liam Keeler and Dylan Guenther.

Lukas Svejkovsky answered for the Tigers late in the second, keeping up a trend of a goal in each of his three games this season.

Medicine Hat then got a chance to draw even on a power play midway through the third, but Edmonton’s Jaylen Luypen scored shorthanded, then Guenther added his second of the night — and sixth of the season — to push the game out of reach.

Erin Van Impe added a consolation tally on a late Tigers power play.

Hat goaltender Garin Bjorklund stopped 30 shots in the loss. Sebastian Cossa turned away 32 for Edmonton in the win.

The Tigers (2-1-0-0) and Oil Kings (3-0-0-0) close out a home-and-home Saturday in Medicine Hat at 7 p.m.

The WHL released the next three weeks of the Central Division schedule Friday. Medicine Hat will face the Calgary Hitmen in a three-game set next weekend — Friday and Sunday in Calgary, and Saturday in Medicine Hat — before getting the following week off. The Tigers will then meet up with the Highway 3 rival Lethbridge Hurricanes for another three contests, March 26-28, with games in Medicine Hat on the Friday and Sunday.