Tigers beat the Wheat Kings 4-3 Friday

By James Tubb on January 13, 2023.

The Medicine Hat Tigers were the comeback kids Friday night.

After falling behind the Brandon Wheat Kings three times, the Tigers came back each time and scored two unanswered to win 4-3 at Westoba Place in Brandon.

Dallon Melin and Hunter St. Martin propelled the Tigers with three point nights and Evan May made 20 saves for his second straight win in net. Medicine Hat came into the game off a 3-1 loss in Swift Current against the Broncos on Tuesday.

Brandon got on the board first with a shorthanded goal from Nolan Ritchie 5:12 into the contest. Zakhar Polshakov and Logan Hammett had the assists on Ritchie’s 15th goal of the year. A little over eight minutes later the Tigers answered back for the first time in the game with St. Martin’s third goal of the year. Cru Hanas set up the play for the tying goal, Dru Krebs had the second assist.

Over halfway through the second period the Wheat Kings jumped ahead with a power play goal from Nate Danielson. Ritchie and Quinn Mantei with the helpers on Danielson’s 22nd on the year. Less than two minutes later, the Tigers tied it 2-2 when Melin tipped in a shot from the point off the stick of Rhett Parsons for his ninth goal of the year.

The game remained tied until 7:07 into the third period when Evan Groening scored over the shoulder of May to give Brandon the 3-2 lead, Luke Shipley and Roger McQueen had the helpers.

A little over five minutes later, Melin wired a shot shoreside on Wheat Kings net minder Carson Bjarnason for his second goal of the night and a tie game. The assists on Melin’s 10th went to St. Martin and Josh Van Mulligen.

With the Wheat Kings gaining momentum, Cayden Lindstrom made a pass to himself across the opposing blue line and fired a shot home for the Tigers first lead of the game with 3:01 left in the game. Melin and St. Martin had the helpers on Lindstrom’s 10th of the year, the eventual game winner.

The Tigers (15-20-5-1) look to build off the win Saturday night when they head to Winnipeg to face the Eastern conference leading Ice. That game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. MST.

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