Tigers fall short of comeback in Lethbridge

By James Tubb on September 30, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers almost came all the way back Friday night in Lethbridge.

After trailing the Hurricanes by three goals early in the third period, the Tigers scored twice to bring themselves within one before ultimately losing 5-4 to the Hurricanes at the Enmax Centre.

The Tigers came into the contest six days removed from putting up nine goals on the Hurricanes in the Tabbies home opener on Sept. 24 to win 9-1. Friday marked the Tigers first road game of the young Western Hockey League season.

Medicine Hat opened the scoring with a power play blast from Brendan Lee, who scored on the Tigers first power play only 1:44 into the game. Defenceman Bogdans Hodass had the lone assist on Lee’s goal, the 20-year-old forward’s second marker of the campaign.

Lethbridge answered back 6:40 later with Jett Jones first goal of the season. Tyson Laventure and Logan McCutcheon had the assists on Jones tying goal. The Hurricanes took the lead late in the first period with a power play goal from Noah Chadwick with 1:02 left in the frame. Tyson Zimmer and Joe Arntsen had the helpers on the goal.

The Tigers evened the game up at 2-2 with only 11 seconds left in the first when forward Andrew Basha knocked a rebound out of mid-air into the net to tie up the contest. The goal was under review for a long time before Basha was awarded his second goal of the season, Hodass and defenceman Rhett Parsons had the helpers on the tying goal.

The second period was a back and forth affair with the only offence coming from the Hurricanes 13:44 into the frame. Nolan Benthem scored to put Lethbridge ahead, McCutcheon and Alex Thacker had the assists.

Lethbridge padded their lead early in the third period, with two goals in the first 5:09 of the final frame to jump ahead 5-2. Cole Shepard scored on a power play 40 seconds into the period and Jones picked up his second of the contest 4:29 later.

The Tigers made it interesting as forward Oasiz Wiesblatt brought them within one of Lethbridge with a power play marker at 7:58. Basha and defenceman Reid Andresen had the assists on Wiesblatt’s third goal of the year as the Tigers kept on the pressure. After an 5-on-3 power play expired for Medicine Hat, forward Tyler MacKenzie scored his second of the campaign with 29 seconds left to bring the Tigers within one.

The Hurricanes held on for the 5-4 win as the Tigers could not complete the comeback to drop their first road contest. Beckett Langkow started in net for the Tigers and had 22 saves in the loss.

The Tigers are back in action Saturday when they host the CHL’s top ranked Winnipeg Ice for a 7 p.m. contest at Co-op Place.