Tigers finding chemistry amongst forward core

By JAMES TUBB on February 16, 2022.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

With the Western Hockey League season in its second half, the Medicine Hat Tigers are starting to find continuity in their forward group.

The Tigers forward lines have almost stayed the exact same over the last few games as combinations of guys gain chemistry and show potential.

The line of Brendan Lee, Noah Danielson and Oren Shtrom formed weeks ago and has stuck as a reliable option for the Tabbies. Danielson said the chemistry they’ve built starts off the ice.

“Just talking in the dressing room to getting chemistry in sewer ball before games and talking in between shifts. Finding each other’s preferences and stuff like that. Just communication and helping each other and push each other.”

All three of Lee, Danielson and Shtrom have shown the ability to put the puck in the back of the net. Shtrom, the youngest player on that line, said knowing that just increases his trust in the line.

“You know if you get the puck to them in the right spot it’s most likely going to go in the back of the net,” Shtrom said. “It’s encouraging to get those guys the puck.”

Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said it’s been nice having continuity after a lot of lineup changes throughout the season but added the different line combinations are a positive too.

“…A lot of different line combinations, which is good too because everybody has played with everybody, a lot of different positions,” Frazer said. “It’s nice to have that continuity right now where you’ve got four similar lines throughout the game and you can roll them.”

Frazer said it’s nice being able to have veterans throughout the young lineup so there is always some experience on the ice; like Shtrom’s line, with the two veterans in Danielson and Lee.

“When you’re an older guy you’ve been through it, whether you’ve been in and out of the lineup, playing less minutes than you’re used to coming from midget. It’s nice having some veteran leadership to help those younger guys go through those steps,” Frazer said.

One line for the Tigers that has featured all younger players is Brayden Boehm, Oasiz Wiesblatt and Teague Patton. Wiesblatt, the man down the middle on that line, said he enjoys entering his own line that compliments one another with speed.

“We’re a fast line. Brayden has a lot of speed, Teague is a great player to play with. Last game we had some struggles but I think it shows how fast we can be,” Wiesblatt said.

The Tigers don’t have a prototypical pecking order of their lines and deploy all four equally. Danielson said that takes the pressure off any certain line come game time.

“It takes pressure off of everybody, whatever line is going that night, if we have all four going it takes the pressure off,” Danielson said. “They are worried about 12 forwards instead of three. Whenever all four lines are going it helps all of us.”

The Tabbies will need all four lines to be going tonight when they host the Brandon Wheat Kings. Medicine Hat is coming off of a 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings Saturday. It was a sombre mood after the loss, which is something Frazer said he thinks is great.

“I think it’s great that the mood was sombre after playing against Edmonton, that shows that guys believed we could have won,” Frazer said. “That was obviously the game plan, we wanted to win that one, and to not get that one, it’s good that the guys were upset. It means they believe and they still care.”

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