Tigers fall to CHL best Oil Kings

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 3, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers held their own Wednesday night but it was not enough.

Twenty-four hours after allowing 11 goals against, the Tigers skated with the CHL’s top-ranked Edmonton Oil Kings and lost 5-2. The defeat marks their 12th in a row.

Medicine Hat came into Wednesday’s contest on the heel of that 11-1 loss at Co-op Place on Tuesday night against the Red Deer Rebels. Heading into Wednesday, the Tigers had been outscored 32-7 in their last five games.

The Tigers opened the game’s scoring when Oasiz Wiesblatt streaked into the Edmonton end and wired a shot short side on Sebastian Cossa. Andrew Basha had the lone assist on Wiesblatt’s 10th goal of the season.

Edmonton took over the first period after that though, due in large part to having four power play opportunities in the frame.

Jakob Demek found the back of the net on a man advantage 2:34 after Wiesblatt’s goal to tie the game. The Oil Kings were up 3-1 four minutes later after Josh Williams and Cole Miller each put a puck past net-minder Garin Bjorklund. Edmonton lit up the shot category, outshooting the Tigers 20-2 after 20 minutes.

Just like the first period, Medicine Hat got on the board first in the second. Defenceman Bogdans Hodass picked up a rebound to the right of Cossa and found the back of the net for his seventh of the season. Rhett Parsons and Owen MacNeil had assists, and the Tigers drew within one.

However, the Oil Kings regained a two-goal lead a little more than six minutes later when Shea Van Olm potted his sixth of the season.

After facing a barrage of shots in the first period, the Tigers held Edmonton to just seven in the second by intercepting passes and racking up blocked shots.

Edmonton carried the 4-2 lead into the intermission still very much ahead in shots, leading the Tigers 27-9.

The Oil Kings added to that lead early in the third period when Simon Kubicek notched his 13th of the season just 1:18 into the frame.

Bjorklund was busy in the third period but kept the Oil Kings at five goals, turning aside multiple high-danger chances. He finished the night with 40 saves in his 36th appearance of the season.

Across the ice from Bjorklund, Costa turned aside eight of the 10 Tigers shots he faced for his 27th win of the year. The Oil Kings picked up a WHL leading 39th win of the year and sit comfortably on top of the Eastern conference.

Wednesday’s loss gives the Tabbies a record of 9-38-3-1.

The Tigers are back in action Saturday when they host the Swift Current Broncos. Medicine Hat has a rematch with the Oil Kings next Wednesday.