Tigers lose 5-4 in Edmonton

By James Tubb on October 23, 2021.

The Medicine Hat Tigers fell behind early on the road and could not make their way back, falling to Edmonton, 5-4 Saturday night.

With the loss, Medicine Hat drops down to .500 and their record now sits 4-4-0-1 early in the season. They had won two straight before hitting the road to Edmonton, including a big 6-2 win against the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday night.

Edmonton opened the scoring early as Carson Latimer potted his then third of the season only 2:29 into the first period. Braeden Wynne and Carter Souch picked up the assists on Latimer’s early goal.

The Tigers would tie the game back up at 1-1 on a Ashton Ferster power play marker, 16:13 into the frame. Ferster’s goal, assisted by Noah Danielson and Lukas Svejkovsky, was his first in the Western Hockey League.

The Oil Kings would add a late goal with 35 seconds left in the first period from Jacob Boucher. His goal, assisted by Ethan Peters and Jalen Luypen, would put Edmonton up 2-1 heading into the second period.

Luke Prokop would pick up where the Oil Kings left off in the first and add to Edmonton’s lead only 49 seconds into the second frame. Jaksen Weibe and Luypen picked up the assists on Prokop’s fourth of the season and the only offence of the period. After 40 minutes, the Oil Kings were outshooting Medicine Hat 28-10.

A little over five minutes into the third period, Latimer would score his second of the game to increase the Oil Kings lead to 4-1.  Both Arizona Coyotes’ prospect Dylan Guenther and Souch picked up the assists on Latimer’s fourth of the season.

The Tigers, not ready to give in, would claw back within two on a Lukas Svejkovsky goal 7:46 into the third period. Daniel Baker and Corson Hopwo had the assists on Svejkovsky’s eighth goal of the year.

Edmonton would get back their three goal lead on a Guenther powerplay goal, only two minutes after Svejkovsky’s mark. Both Luypen and Souch would pick up their third assists of the game on Guenther’s third goal of the season.

Medicine Hat would mount a late comeback with goals from Dru Krebs and Hopwo in the last ten minutes of the period to bring the score within one. Tyler MacKenzie assisted on Krebs first of the year and Reid Andresen and Krebs assisted on Hopwo’s third.

With Garin Bjorklund on the bench for the extra attacker, the Tigers mounted an offence on the Oil Kings in the last few minutes but it was too little, too late. Medicine Hat could not overcome Edmonton’s lead and fell just short, losing 5-4.

Bjorklund, in his ninth start of the season, stopped 35 of the 40 Edmonton shots he faced. The 19-year-old’s record on the year now sits at 2-4.

In net for his WHL debut, Kolby Hay stopped 18 of the 22 Tigers’ shots he faced to pick up his first WHL win. The Monte Creek product was drafted in the third round by the Oil Kings in 2019.

The Tigers next action sees them hit the road Friday to Moose Jaw for a date with the Warriors. The Tabbies then return home Saturday to host the Saskatoon Blades. That will be their second matchup against the Blades this season as the Tigers were shutout 4-0, in Saskatoon on Oct. 15.

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