Tigers heading into pivotal match with Regina

By JAMES TUBB on February 22, 2023.

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb

The Medicine Hat Tigers head to Regina tonight to battle with Connor Bedard and the Pats in a game that means more than just two points.

A win for Medicine Hat and a Calgary loss in the morning against Winnipeg would put the Tigers in sixth place of the Eastern conference, a big step up from their current habitat in eighth.

The Pats, Hitmen and Tigers hold the 6-8 spots in the conference, all having 55 points, with the Swift Current Broncos in ninth, two points shy but holding a game in hand. The Brandon Wheat Kings are still within reach as well, in 10th with 52 points. Even the Prince Albert Raiders are a winning streak away from contention, with 49 points in 11th place.

Head coach Willie Desjardins says there are no easy games ahead for the Tigers, they’re all important contests, starting with Regina tonight.

“They’re going to be ready for us, it’s really tough all the time now, you’re going to play good teams who are ready,” Desjardins said. “It’s going to be a battle, and for us, we know if we don’t play our best, we don’t have a chance to win.

“We have to play our best, that is a challenge every night and we just have to make sure we’re ready for it.”

Desjardins echoed associate coach Joe Frazer’s comments after Monday’s 4-1 win in Red Deer against the Rebels, saying that victory was one of their best games of the year, something they look to carry into Regina. He says their five-on-five play was strong in that game, as it has been all year.

“I think (five-on-five) we’d be ranked up in the top, if you look at Corsi and all those (stats), we’re in the top seven or eight of the league,” Desjardins said. “We’ve been pretty strong in those areas and our special teams are good – our kill has been really good. It’s been strong throughout and the power play has had lots of chances, it hadn’t scored as much, but not because the chances aren’t there.”

The Tigers were shorthanded in the Monday matinee as captain Owen MacNeil did not make the trip due to illness and was declared day-to-day, and early in the first period Pasha Bocharov was hit up high by Rebels defenceman Christoffer Sedoff. Frazer said after the game Bocharov would be out of the lineup for a bit. On top of MacNeil and Bocharov the Tigers are without Brayden Boehm for roughly little over a month.

Desjardins said MacNeil should be back in the lineup after dealing with the flu on Monday. He wasn’t sure what Bocharov’s status would be for the game but said if the lineup was shortened Brett Calhoon would be the likely call-up.

The 18-year-old Calhoon has been called up for six games in a Tigers uniform this season while spending the rest of the year with the South Alberta Hockey Academy, putting up 12 goals and 27 points in 25 games.

Tigers forward Brendan Lee, who scored twice in the win Monday, says he was impressed with how they handled playing with only 10 forwards.

“A lot of guys stepped up and obviously we’re missing an 18-goal scorer (Boehm), captain (MacNeil) and one of our best defensive forwards (Bocharov),” Lee said. “It just shows that we can beat anybody and we’re a great team ourselves and no one can doubt us anymore.”

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