Tigers coming off strong weekend

By JAMES TUBB on March 8, 2022.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Tigers got the bounce-back weekend they needed.

By shutting out the Swift Current Broncos 2-0 Saturday night, the Tigers picked up their 10th win of the season and snapped a 12-game losing streak that dated back to Jan. 30. Over that stretch, the Tigers were outscored 66-19 and were shut out twice.

Goaltender Garin Bjorklund led the way for the Tigers against Swift Current, as he turned aside all 33 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and third of his WHL career. Outside of the Tigers two-goal third period – in which veteran Carter Chorney notched his second goal in his 22nd game in the orange and black, and Owen MacNeil added his eighth of the season in an empty net with one second left – Saturday’s game was back and forth.

The Broncos outshot the Tigers 33-24 over 60 minutes as both teams used the first period to settle into the game before picking up the speed and physicality. The Tabbies penalty kill flexed its muscle in their lone weekend contest, killing all four penalties including a four-minute kill in the second period. The stringency on the penalty kill is a positive sign for the Tigers, who had a highly ranked penalty kill early in the season that has since settled to 71.6 per cent – last in the WHL.

Saturday night also marked the return of forward Tyler MacKenzie, whose last game was on Jan. 22. Mackenzie was one of five Tigers inactive due to injury, with captain Daniel Baker, forwards Brendan Lee and Noah Danielson and goalie Beckett Langkow still on the injury shelf.

The Tigers will look to continue their winning ways when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside Co-op Place, a week after falling 5-2 in Edmonton.

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