Tigers drop second straight in OT, looking for finish

By JAMES TUBB on November 3, 2022.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are getting their opportunities to win games, they just need to find a way to make it happen.

The Tigers lost 3-2 in overtime Tuesday night against the visiting Vancouver Giants, two nights after falling 4-3 in overtime on Saturday against the Victoria Royals. Both games they led in the third period before falling in the extra frame.

It’s not that the Tigers are giving up or letting their opponents take over the game, they’re just not finishing them off when they have the chance. That’s how head coach Willie Desjardins described their third periods.

“You learn to win. The game could have been put away way before that and we just didn’t put it away,” Desjardins said after Tuesday’s loss. “If you leave it to a one-goal game late in the game, some days, you’re going to just lose. It’s just the way it is. So when you have an opportunity, you have to capitalize on it. We had some chances and we just didn’t capitalize but I think it was a step in the right direction.”

Each of the team’s four wins to start the year have been with a three-goal-lead or more, with two of them being eight-goal leads. Desjardins says winning those close games is something they have to find and are working toward.

“Winning is a special thing, you learn it and we haven’t found that way right now. We’ve been able to win games big but we haven’t been able to get the close ones,” Desjardins said. “This is something you have to keep working on. They know it, we’ve talked about it and today was a step better than Victoria and we just have to keep taking steps.”

Desjardins has seen his share of success and victories with 393 wins as Tigers bench boss across his two stints in the Hat. He can’t win games for his team but says watching a loss is as hard for him as it is a player or fan, though he stressed they’re getting better.

“You always hope your team is going to win and when they don’t, it’s disappointing and it’s hard,” Desjardins said. “The most important thing is it’s a process and we have to develop and get better. It’s good to see (Gavin) McKenna in the lineup today. He did some really good things and had some chances. Other young guys, Cru Hanas was better. So there’s development that’s in there.

“In the end, we talked about that and we want to get back to being a winning club again, and we have to take our steps and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

McKenna made his return to the Tigers lineup after being recalled Monday on emergency status with Tomas Mrsic and Cayden Lindstrom playing for Canada at the U17 Hockey Challenge in Langley.

The Tigers have received strong goaltending in their last three losses, with Evan May between the pipes over the weekend in the 2-1 loss to the Saskatoon Blades on Oct. 28 and against Victoria. Beckett Langkow made his return to the net after battling illness and put up 26 saves against the Giants.

“Beckett was good, he was really solid throughout,” Desjardins said. “It was tough for him not to get it (a win) just the same with May when he played, both guys are great and that’s what we need. We need really good goaltending to give us a chance and we’ve got it every night. Now it’s up to us to capitalize.”

Langkow says it felt good to get back on the ice and wishes he could have made a save on the Giants’ overtime goal to give his team one more chance, but was ultimately happy with his game.

“It’s just one shot, we were there and played pretty well,” Langkow said. “We just have to reset and try to play the play the same way. If we play like that, we’ll start getting results.”

Results aside, Tuesday night was special for the 19-year-old, as he played against his cousin Colton Langkow for the first time in their WHL careers.

“I signed in the league a couple years ago and he just signed right after me. So I’ve been looking forward to playing against him for a while and it couldn’t happen last year,” Langkow said. “It’s pretty cool it happened this year, my dad and his dad played against each other around 30 years ago so it’s pretty cool it’s come full circle.”

The Tigers head into a split weekend, in Calgary on Friday for their first match of the season against the Hitmen before they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes for their third game of the year. Desjardins says they’ll have to be hungry and play with a lot of energy against the Hitmen.

Saturday’s game against Lethbridge gets underway at 7 p.m. at Co-op Place.

Share this story: