NEWS PHOTO KELLEN TANIGUCHI
Cayden Glover (left) and Carlin Dezainde (right) celebrate Dezainde’s first career Western Hockey League goal during Saturday night’s game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
A first period lead and a couple of opportunities off rebounds led the Lethbridge Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night at Co-op Place – the win is the Hurricanes first against the Tigers in five games this season.
The Tigers struggled to generate chances during the game and were outshot 34-20.
“Lethbridge came at us hard all game, we tried pushing back but they seemed to come harder. We got to put this one behind us and be ready to take on Lethbridge in their barn tomorrow,” said Carlin Dezainde post-game.
Dezainde scored his first career Western Hockey League goal in the third period of the game as the Tigers tried to make a late comeback.
“It feels awesome. I’ve been waiting for it, so I’m glad it finally came,” he said. “I think for me I just wanted to get it in the back of the net, but to come down on a two on one and get a nice shot was the perfect opportunity for me to score. So, I just took advantage of that and I couldn’t be happier with it.”
Oasiz Wiesblatt was in the box for high sticking when the Hurricanes opened the scoring. Dino Kambeitz shot a puck through traffic which took a bounce of Tigers’ netminder Beckett Langkow and onto Logan Barlage’s stick who pushed the puck into the open net 14:45 into the first period.
Exactly three minutes later, Lethbridge forward Cole Miller scored his first WHL goal to extend the visitor’s lead to two. Defenceman Joe Arntsen sent a powerful slap shot on goal which resulted in a big rebound of Langkow’s chest. Miller controlled the puck in the slot and his wrister found twine.
The rivalry was on full display and a lot of pushing and shoving took place after the whistle in the opening frame, including everyone on the ice getting involved after Tigers’ defender Aidan Brook was hit hard into the boards. The play resulted in three roughing penalties – two for the Tigers.
Lethbridge added a third goal in the second period when Noah Boyko made a diving effort to keep the puck in the offensive zone and slide it to Alex Thacker in the slot who perfectly placed his wrist shot over Langkow’s glove.
Just 26 seconds later, Medicine Hat responded with its first goal of the game. Teague Patton skated into the offensive zone, deked out his defender and slid the puck through Lethbridge netminder Carl Tetachuk’s legs.
Kambeitz gave the Hurricanes another three-goal lead in the third period. He skated with the puck behind the Tigers’ goal and wrapped around to the faceoff circle where he threw a puck toward the net which took a bounce of defenceman Dru Krebs and into the back of the net.
The physicality continues throughout the game and less than two minutes after the goal, Kambeitz and Medicine Hat defenceman Eric Van Impe dropped the gloves and were sent to the bin for five minutes each.
Lethbridge Centre Chase Wheacroft added a power play marker 6:34 into the final period to give his team a 5-1 lead.
The Tabbies got on the board shortly after when Corson Hopwo buried a one-timer off a pass from Reid Andresen, beating Tetachuk through the five-hole.
Medicine Hat cut the lead to two when Dezainde’s wrister beat Tetachuk’s blocker side. However, Wheatcroft increased the Lethbridge lead to three again with an empty net goal with 1:32 left in the game.
The Tigers fall to 13-7-0-1 with the loss, while the Hurricanes improve to 9-11-2-0.
Medicine Hat will be in Lethbridge will play for a final time this season in Lethbridge on Sunday night with puck drop at 7 p.m.
“Definitely an emotional series for sure. I think we got to keep it simple. They’re going to come hard tomorrow for sure, they’re going to want to try and take the series, especially in their barn. I think keep it simple, be hard on them and hopefully we can come out with the win tomorrow,” said Dezainde.
