NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Tomas Mrsic sends a pass into the middle of the Swift Current slot in the first period of a 4-3 overtime loss against the Broncos at Co-op Place on Sunday.
The Medicine Hat Tigers had a two point lead Sunday afternoon at Co-op Place but only walked away with a point.
The Tigers were up 3-1 heading into the their period before losing in overtime 4-3 against Swift Current, the third time in five games Broncos and Tigers have needed overtime. Medicine Hat entered the contest off a 7-1 win Saturday night against the Calgary Hitmen, their third win in a row.
Assistant coach Josh Maser says they were good through 40 minutes but have to be better in the third period if they want to win games like that.
“We sat back in third a little bit and got away from our game,” Maser said. “We let them take the game to us and we have to show more maturity. That’s a huge game and he have to find a way to win that and close that out.”
Medicine Hat trails Swift Current by three points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern conference with a record of 18-21-6-1.
For the second straight game, Pasha Bocharov opened the scoring for the Tigers.
After the Tigers couldn’t capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play, Oasiz Wiesblatt picked their pocket of a Swift Current defender for a 2-on-0 breakaway where he passed Bocharov the puck for the open net and his ninth goal on the year.
Bocharov says it’s always a positive to opening the scoring but wanted the two points for the team.
“We came out hard and we gave it our all out there,” Bocharov said. “That’s really all you can ask for from this group. It’s one of those (losses) you just put in the rearview mirror mirror and get back out next week.”
Less than three minutes later, the Broncos capitalized on their first power play in the opening frame, with a goal from Josh Filmon at the 15:21 mark for the 1-1 tie.
Medicine Hat carried the offence into the second period with an early goal from Dallon Melin. The 20-year-old knocked in the rebound off a Cayden Lindstrom wrist shot for the 2-1 lead 4:50 into the period. Hunter St. Martin had the second assist on Melin’s 20th.
With less than three minutes remaining in the frame, Wiesblatt helped generate another goal.
The 18-year-old carried the puck around the Swift Current end looking for an option before sending a pass to Andrew Basha who wasted no time scoring. Dru Krebs had the secondary helper on Basha’s 10 of the year as Medicine Hat carried a 3-1 lead into the second intermission.
Swift Current drew within one 7:44 into the third period with a goal from Owen Pickering, his sixth on the season. The Broncos maintained pressure and Medicine Hat was pushing to close it out in regulation before a Connor Hvidston shot took a bounce off the back of a Tiger defender, beating Beckett Langkow to force overtime with 2:24 left in the game.
In the extra frame it was the Broncos completing the comeback, Josh Davies wired shot past Langkow on a two-on-one just 1:29 into overtime to win it for Swift Current. Maser says they stuck with the Broncos but simply need to beat them.
“We have to find a way to beat those guys here,” Maser said. “It goes to show where we’re at but we have to beat them.”
Despite the loss, the Tigers had a 3-0-1 week grabbing seven of a possible eight points. Their next action is Saturday in Moose Jaw against the Warriors.
