Tigers drop home and home with Red Deer after 6-2 loss Saturday
By James Tubb on March 12, 2022.
NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers net minder Garin Bjorklund keeps his eye on the puck with an onslaught of players in his crease in the first period of the Tigers 6-2 loss to the Red Deer Rebels Saturday night at Co-op Place.
Medicine Hat allowed another late period goal to further lose momentum heading into the intermission as Dallon Melin tippedg a point shot from Jace Weir past Bjorklund with less than two seconds before the intermission to complete the four goal Rebels first period.
The Tigers did bounce back early in the second as Teague Patton forced a turnover and set up Tyler MacKenzie for the 4-1 goal. MacKenzie’s goal, his third of the season, is also his third point in four games since returning from injury.
Red Deer restored the four goal lead late in the frame as the Tigers allowed another late goal, Jace Isley fired a shot into the net with 1:41 left in the second frame.
With 10:26 left in the contest Tigers d-man Gleb Ivanov his the showers early after he was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for elbowing Red Deer forward Frantisek Formanek. The Tigers killed off all five minutes of the penalty but the Rebels Kalan Lind got his name on the score sheet scoring with 1:50 left in the game.
The Tigers received a positive moment before the clock wound down on a tough loss as Med Hat product Josh Van Mulligen scored his first goal in the Western Hockey League with a shot from the blue line in the final 10 seconds in front of his family and friends.
Bjorklund made 29 saves in the loss as across the ice, Chase Coward, turned aside 22 Tigers shots to pick up his 16th win on the year.
The Tigers are back at Co-op Place Tuesday night when they host Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats for their final match-up of the season. That contest gets underway at 7 pm.
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