May 1st, 2024

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.

The Medicine Hat Tigers fell behind early and could not dig themselves out Saturday night.

The Tigers gave up four goals in the first period to the Red Deer Rebels as they eventually fell 6-2, their second straight loss to the Rebels.

Red Deer beat the Tigers Friday night 6-3 in the first game of the home and home series. Saturday’s loss gives the Tigers a record of 10-41-3-1.

Talon Brigley scored the games first goal just 7:50 into the contest for the Rebels on the man advantage. The Rebels added to their lead 2:16 later when Christoffer Sedof wired a shot past Tigers goaltender Garin Bjorklund.

The Tigers’ struggles continued with under six minutes to play in the first as a turnover behind their net was thrown in front from Arshdeep Bains to a wide open Ben King who potted his 45th goal of the season for the 3-0 lead.

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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