NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defensemen Rhett Parsons eyes up and stands in front the Saskatoon shooter in the first period of the Tigers Tuesday night game at Co-op Place against the Blades.
The Medicine Hat Tigers offence must have been zapped away with the local power outages.
The Tigers were shutout 4-0 by the Saskatoon Blades Tuesday night at Co-op Place for their eighth loss in a row.
Tigers Associate coach Joe Frazer said he liked his team’s game in the loss.
“When you look back at the chances, I think we’ll have more chances than they did but it’s just barring down on those chances,” Frazer said. “We had a lot of chances in front on scrums and rebounds and unfortunately we just weren’t able to put it in the back of the net. It’s been a point of emphasis all year just getting harder in front, at least we were going there tonight, the front of the ent, now we have to capitalize on those chances.”
Beckett Langkow made 20 saves but did not get any run support in front of him. The 17-year-old goaltender said his game was “alright.”
“I thought I got some bounces that didn’t go my way,” Langkow said. “That breakaway goal hits my knob and goes in, then a tough rebound off my mask. I thought I was alright, hoped to make a couple more saves to give us a chance here.”
The Tigers came into Tuesday night’s contest on the heels of a 6-1 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday, the same night the team honoured longtime broadcaster Bob Ridley with a pre-game ceremony and banner raising.
Tuesday’s game was a makeup contest from Jan. 25, postponed at the time due to the Saskatoon Blades being put on a COVID-19 pause.
Medicine Hat controlled a lot of the pace in the first period as both of their special teams were rolling strong. The Tigers limited the Blades to fewerthan five shots on their two power play chances and had multiple high-danger shots on their own man advantage, but could not find the back of the net.
Saskatoon opened the game’s scoring with 1:41 left in the first period. Brandon Lisowsky took a pass at the Tigers’ blue line from Kyle Crnkovic and slipped past two defenders before sneaking a shot through goaltender Langkow. Former Tiger Ryan Nolan picked up the second assist — he was traded in the Dec. 28 three-team deal between the Tigers, Blades and Prince George Cougars, which brought Brendan Lee and Pasha Bocharov to the Gas City.
Medicine Hat led the first period in shots, 10-7, but trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes.
The Tigers’ penalty kill was put to the test early in the second period with Rhett Parsons and Logan Barlage both in the box. They managed to kill off both penalties but it was Saskatoon who kept the momentum.
Egor Sidorov and Noah Boyko scored within a minute of each other in the first half of the period and Saskatoon quickly jumped ahead 3-0. Nolan had the second assist on Sidorov’s goal.
Medicine Hat was outshot 12-6, trailing 3-0 after 40 minutes.
Medicine Hat brought the 1,880 Tigers faithful in attendance to their feet in the third, hitting multiple posts, but missed getting on the board by mere millimetres.
Saskatoon capitalized on the missed opportunities when Crnkovic found himself behind the Tigers defence chasing a loose puck and slipped a breakaway chance through Langkow for his 38th goal of the season. Nolan had the lone assist, continuing to pick up points against his former club.
Blades head coach Brennan Sonne said Nolan was emotional in the game, which led to taking three penalties but said he was happy for him to get the success he did against his former team.
Saskatoon kept the pressure on in the third and held on for the 4-0 win, their 36th victory on the year. Their record sits at 36-25-3-1 and they remain comfortably in third place of the East division with 76 points. Blades net minder Nolan Maier picked up his second shutout on the season and 120th career victory, tying him for the WHL career record. Maser said it feels surreal to tie the record.
“I’m more honoured to do all of this under one team with the Saskatoon Blades and just be up there with some of those names is really honouring to me,” Maier said. The Blades have three more games for Maier to pick up that historic win.
The loss Tuesday night puts Medicine Hat’s record at 11-49-3-1 with four games left on the schedule. Langkow was without his normal goaltending partner behind him Tuesday, as Garin Bjorklund was scratched from the game. Frazer said he tweaked his back in morning skate so he was kept out fo the game for precautionary reason. Frazer said he’ll be good for the road trip.
The Tigers will load up the bus for the final road trip this week, as they visit the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday night before stopping in Winnipeg to battle the Eastern conference leading Ice on Saturday and Sunday.
Frazer said the guys are excited to hit the road one last time on the season.
“Get together with the team, at any time in the season–I was just talking to the guys and they’re excited,” Frazer said. “We have two great opponents, good challenges for us. I know we’re excited and it’s going to be a good weekend.”
They’re back at home against the Edmonton Oil Kings on April 12 for their final game of the season.
