NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Evan May watches a puck float by wide of the net in the second period of their 4-3 overtime loss to the Victoria Royals at Co-op Place on Saturday night.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers notched their first losing weekend of the WHL season.
After a 2-1 loss on Friday to the Saskatoon Blades, the Tigers fell 4-3 in overtime Saturday against the Victoria Royals. Medicine Hat led the visiting Royals 2-0 halfway through the third after second frame goals from Oasiz Wiesblatt and Pasha Bocharov.
Victoria mounted a comeback though and took a 3-2 lead with 4:54 left. Medicine Hat tied it up with 59 seconds left on a goal from Dallon Melin, but it was the Royals who won in overtime on Jake Poole’s third goal of the game.
Associate coach Joe Frazer says it was tough blowing the two-goal lead and said they need to work on finding their consistency.
“A lot of games this year we’re right there and it’s just finding a way to play consistent for 60 minutes that’s been the hard part all year,” Frazer said. “We have a great 40 or 50 minutes, it’s finding a way to do it for 60 so you get two points. That’s something we have to keep working on.”
The 20-year-old Melin said Saturday’s loss was a learning experience and one they have to build from.
“When you have a lead going into third period, we can’t play on your heels, we also can’t take chances and I think we really left Ev (Evan May) hanging out to dry,” Melin said. “He was fantastic both games and this game he kept us in it. Sometimes the hockey gods get back at you because I don’t think we deserved to win this one.”
The most consistent part of the weekend for the Tigers was the play of 18-year-old May in net, taking over between the pipes after starter Beckett Langkow was scratched both nights due to illness. He made 29 and 21 saves against the Blades and Royals respectively and quickly became a fan favourite with each save.
“It was nice to see him play well, the guys had a lot of confidence with him back there and it just was great to see him play so well,” Frazer said.
Penalties also held the Tigers back over the weekend as they took a combined 13 in both games, while allowing two power play goals against Saskatoon. Frazer says discipline in the game comes from controlling emotions and learning from the moments where the game gets intense and tight.
Melin, who is two games away from 200 in the WHL, says they have to preach discipline but also close out their games.
“The big thing is, the good teams find a way to win those games,” Melin said. “You don’t lose when you’re up 2-0. We have to find a way but we came away with a point tonight, and it’s gonna sting, but these next few games are huge for us.”
The Tigers (4-6-2) host the Vancouver Giants tonight at Co-op Place before heading to Calgary on Friday for their first matchup with the Hitmen this season. They finish the week off Saturday when the Lethbridge Hurricanes stop at Co-op Place.
Lindstrom chosen for Canada, McKenna recalled
After originally being snubbed by Hockey Canada for the World U17 Tournament in Langley, Tigers forward Cayden Lindstrom has been selected to the challenge’s Team White roster.
“It’s such an honour, ” he said in a team release Monday. “When I wasn’t selected initially it motivated me to just keep working hard and to work on the little things that can make me a better all around player.”
Head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins says Lindstrom has made great strides this season and is deserving of the call after not being selected originally
“He’s got all the aspects to be a successful player at the tournament, a big body, strong skater and has that heavy shot. It’s exciting for him and for us to see what he can do against his age group.”
Lindstrom joins fellow Tiger Tomas Mrsic at the tournament, and will face off against him as Mrsic is playing for Team Red. The U17’s open up Thursday as Lindstrom & Team White will face Sweden, while Mrsic and Team Red will play Team Black.
With Mrsic and Lindstrom playing for Hockey Canada, the Tigers roster is a player short and as a result, the team announced Monday they have recalled top prospect Gavin McKenna on an emergency basis, and he will be in the lineup against Vancouver.
Still in his draft season, McKenna is supposed to be limited to four more games after playing the Tigers home opener. But because the Whitehorse product is being recalled on an emergency basis, these games do not count toward his five-game limit in his age-15 season.
The 14-year-old is coming off of a five-goal, three-assist weekend with the South Alberta Hockey Academy. He leads the CSSHL’s U18 level with 25 points (11G, 14A) in eight games.
