Tigers lead early but lose to powerhouse Oil Kings

By James Tubb on February 12, 2022.

NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB Medicine Hat Tigers net minder Beckett Langkow keeps his eye on the puck just before he make a save in the first period of the Tigers 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings Saturday

The Medicine Hat Tigers had an early lead but coughed it up to one of the best teams in the Western Hockey League Saturday night.

The Tigers led 3-1 halfway through the game before giving up four straight goals to the Edmonton Oil Kings and notching their 29th loss of the season.

Medicine Hat associate coach Joe Frazer credited net minder Beckett Langkow for keeping them in the game and said it came down to lost puck battles in the defeat.

“I thought Beks was really good early, gave us a chance,” Frazer said. “We had a lead but just a couple puck battles we lost in the d-zone that really killed us.”

Langkow, making his second straight start for the first time this season, stopped 30 of the 35 shots he faced in the loss. He said he thought he had a good game but wished he could have a couple goals back.

“I thought it was alright, thought I made a lot of good saves,” Langkow said. “But there was definitely a couple of goals I want to have back to give my team a chance. It wasn’t one of my worse games but I think I can still be better.”

Medicine Hat killed off a hooking penalty in the first four minutes that livened up the Tigers bench and gave them an early boost.

A little over five minutes after the PK, Dru Krebs opened the games scoring by redirecting an Oren Shtrom shot past Oil Kings net minder Kolby Hay. Krebs third of the season came 9:01 into the period as the Tigers jumped out ahead of the Central division leading Oil Kings.

The Tigers looked like they would carry the lead into the intermission before Edmonton’s Carter Souch fired a shot just beside Langkow’s glove to tie the game at 1-1.

After the first 20, Edmonton led the Tigers 16-4 in shots.

Just like the early frame, Medicine Hat started off with a penalty kill and the first goal.

The Tigers killed an early Carter Chorney puck over glass–delay of game penalty. They capitalized on the momentum from the kill a little over four minutes later as Steven Arp picked up a loose puck out front of Hay and fired it home to bring the crowd of 2,071 Tigers faithful to their feet and give the Tabbies the lead.

D-man Rhett Parsons picked up the assist on Arp’s second goal of the season after his shot from the point was deflected to Arp who had the final shot.

The Tigers kept the energy going as Krebs picked up the puck in the Oil Kings end and deked himself out front before backhanding the puck past Hay for his second goal of the game. Brendan Lee and Gleb Ivanov had the assists on Kreb’s goal as Medicine Hat quickly grew their lead to 3-1.

Frazer said it was good to see Krebs get rewarded with getting on the score sheet.

“He’s been snake bit a bit this year but he’s one of our hardest workers on and off the ice every day,” Frazer said. “So it’s good to see him get rewarded.”

The d-man said he can’t complain about getting on the score sheet as he said scoring goals is one of the best feelings in the world. Krebs said he’s he’s felt more confident over the Tigers last couple games.

“Today I was able to execute but it’s always fun, scoring puts a little extra jump in your step for sure,” Krebs said.

Edmonton answered back 20 seconds later when a Luke Prokop shot slipped through Tigers net minder Beckett Langkow bringing the Oil Kings within one.

The Central division rivalry heated up halfway through the second period as the Tigers through multiple hits that the Oil Kings voiced their opinions on from the bench. As a result, Parsons and Edmonton’s Jaxsen Wiebe dropped the gloves in Medicine Hat’s end before drifting to centre ice to complete their fisticuffs.

Langkow and the Tigers fended off multiple high danger chances from the Oil Kings as the clock ticked down. Eventually Edmonton capitalized on their chances and Cole Miller got credit for the goal that bounced up over Langkow to tie the game with 2:22 left in the period.

Former Tigers forward Josh Williams capped off the second by wiring a puck top shelf to give Edmonton their first lead of the game. The Oil Kings carried their lead into the intermission after outshooting the Tigers 14-8 in the frame.

The Oil Kings jumped out early in the third to extend their lead. Jake Neighbours got in behind the Tigers defenders for a mini breakaway and sent the puck through Langkow’s five hole to put them up 5-3 1:04 into the frame.

Neighbours’ goal would be the last of the contest despite a late push by the Tigers with the net empty they could not mount a comeback.

Between the pipes for Edmonton, Hay turned aside 13 of the 16 shots he faced to give Edmonton their league leading 34th win of the season.

Oil Kings head coach Brad Lauer said he was worried about his team coming off of their “emotional” 4-0 win over Red Deer on Friday but liked how they handled the game.

“…We generated some shots, had some opportunities, good looks early on, their goalie played very well for them,” Lauer said. “But at the end of the day I thought we found a way to get it done.”

Medicine Hat is back in action with a busy week of four games in six days ahead. Their next action is Wednesday when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings for a 7 p.m. contest  at Co-op Place.

Frazer said the loss stings and it’s one the Tigers wanted but said they have to turn the page ahead of their busy week. When asked if losing to a team of Edmonton’s calibre makes the defeat any easier to swallow Frazer quickly shook his head at the idea.

“I think the guys are pretty upset, they wanted this one so it’s tough,” Frazer said.