Tigers gearing up for pressure filled second half

By JAMES TUBB on December 31, 2022.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The first half of the Medicine Hat Tigers season was about getting in the playoff hunt. The second half is about staying there.

The Tigers enter play Friday in eighth place of the Eastern conference with a record of 13-18-4-1, good for the final playoff spot.

As they get ready for their second half, which got started with a 3-2 loss in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes on Tuesday, the Tigers are healthier than they were heading into the break, according to head coach Willie Desjardins.

“We had lots of hockey the first half, we were a little bit worn down towards the end,” Desjardins said. “We don’t have near as many guys coughing up than we did going into the break. We had lots of guys that were sick and I think we’re pretty healthy now, so that’s a good thing.”

The Tigers head into a second half with 32 games on their schedule, fewer than the rest of the league, which gives them more days off. Of those 32 games, seven are against the Swift Current Broncos, who trail them in the standings.

Desjardins says if they want to make the playoffs those matchups are important.

“We know that and they know that, both teams will be ready,” Desjardins said. “They’re explosive, they have lots of drafted players there. So obviously they’re a challenge but saying that, we have lots of guys that will have stuff to prove.”

The Tigers are in Swift Current on Saturday before the Broncos visit the Hat on Jan. 7. The two clubs were supposed to meet on Wednesday but that game was postponed and has yet to be rescheduled.

As the Tigers get ready for what is a playoff push of a second half, Desjardins says the expectation is more accountability from younger players.

“The way we’re set up, we need them to be good every night to win. We’ve built it (around them), we have young guys, so there’s going to be lots of pressure and lots of expectation,” Desjardins said. “It’ll be hard though, it’ll be tough with just where we’re at. But there’s parts in the first half I was really impressed with. We went into certain buildings and we were good, like really good, and it surprised me how good we were. Saying that, this part is going to be hard just to find ways to win.”

Tigers captain Owen MacNeil says he is looking forward to the important games ahead.

“We don’t have a lot of guys who have played a full year, only a handful of us, so it’s kind of cool for them to experience what it’s like and get into playoff mode,” MacNeil said. “But we have to get there first. We’re just treating the second half like it’s a playoff game every night.

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