NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
The Medicine Hat Cubs celebrate Vaughn Strutt's 3-2 overtime winner as the Cubs beat the Cochrane Generals Friday night at the Kinplex in Game 2 to even up their semifinals series.
The Medicine Hat Cubs had a flair for the dramatics Friday night at the Kinplex.
The Cubs tied the game with 25.8 seconds left in the third period before scoring in overtime to beat the Cochrane Generals 3-2 to take Game 2 of their semifinals series and even it up at 1-1. Cochrane took the first game by a score of 6-5 on Tuesday.
Head coach Randy Wong says anytime they can win a playoff game in overtime, it’s special.
“The adrenaline, the intensity it just ramps up another notch when that happens,” Wong said. “We battled back, playoff hockey it’s a tight game, anything can happen and anything did happen. So we came out on the upside, we tie the series and we go there tomorrow for game three.”
Vaughn Strutt had the overtime winner for the Cubs, scoring exactly four minutes into the extra frame.
“That’s a good feeling for sure,” Strutt said. “Tonight’s huge for tomorrow going into their barn, it should be good.”
Wong says Strutt has done everything they’ve asked of him all season and they rewarded him with more ice time and power play time in Game 2. He rewarded them back with the game winner.
“We felt that his first game was real strong, and he deserved to play up a bit so we gave him a little extra,” Wong said. “We gave him some power play time today and he’s just a hardworking kid who deserves all that and so it’s nice that he’s the guy.”
Cochrane carried momentum for the first 30 minutes of the contest and got themselves on the board first. Andrew Guss scored with 38 seconds left in the first period to put the Generals ahead. They continued the offence in the second frame as while the Cubs couldn’t make use of two early power plays, Generals Diago Coelho scored shorthanded to put Cochrane up 2-0 7:14 into the second period.
That was the last goal Mark Peddle allowed as he held on and turned aside a total of 28 shots for his first playoffs win.
“It was nice, just trying to get that home ice advantage back,” Peddle said.
Wong says Peddle made the saves they needed him to and tabbed him as the game three starter on Saturday in Cochrane.
Medicine Hat answered back a little over six minutes after Cochrane’s 2-0 goal with a power play marker from Brady Mahar, Connor Douglas had the lone assist.
The two teams traded chances in the third period and with the goalie pulled and on a power play, Kyle Woolridge found the back of the net to tie the game up at 2-2 with 25.8 seconds left on the clock. After that, it was Strutt who called game in overtime.
As the series shift to Cochrane for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Wednesday, Wong hopes they can carry the momentum from the win and is happy they will be back at the Kinplex for Game 5.
“Hope the guys get the rest tonight and they just feed from this,” Wong said. “Things like an overtime win, can sometimes set up a series that if you can carry on momentum, regardless of where you’re playing, sometimes that’s enough.
“We have to make sure we’re ready to play there, we feed off of this and continue what we’re doing and what we did in the third period.”
