NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Colby Friedrich's shot is blocked in the first period of a 5-2 Game 3 loss at the Kinplex against the Okotoks Bisons on Sunday.
The Medicine Hat Cubs could not capitalize with home ice Sunday afternoon against Okotoks.
Medicine Hat lost Game 3 5-2 at the Kinplex as they trial the Bisons 3-0 in their best-of-seven South finals series.
Cubs head coach and general manager Randy Wong was blunt after the loss describing his team in the loss.
“I’m so disappointed on our performance tonight,” Wong said. “The lack of fight in the guys, you’re in a do or die situation, you don’t want to go down three games to nothing and I just didn’t think we competed today.”
The Cubs are in a similar situation as last season, falling behind 3-0 against Okotoks. They managed to win Game 4 and 5 before ultimately falling in Game 6 of that series. Medicine Hat’s next chance at keeping themselves in the series in Tuesday, back at the Kinplex for Game 4 at 8:15 p.m.
Okotoks got on the board first with a goal from Easton Dean just over 10 minutes into the game. With 2:50 left in the opening frame, the Bisons doubled their lead on a Boogie Blackwater goal. Medicine Hat was outshot 11-8 in the period.
The Bisons kept the offence flowing in the second period, with goals from Dean and Daniel Tainton giving them a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes of play. Medicine Hat led the period in shots with 16 to Okotoks eight.
Medicine Hat rattled off two straight goals early in the first to bring themselves within two. Jacob Milne scored on a delayed penalty and Brady Mahar capitalized on a power play for the Cubs only offence of the game.
Bisons forward Kaleb Schuller knocked in a loose puck with 6:15 left in the game to secure the 5-2 win and the commanding 3-0 series lead for Okotoks.
Medicine Hat goaltender Kellen Bojic made 30 saves in the loss and across the ice from him, Dylan Fries turned aside 32 shots.
Wong says the message ahead of Game 4 is simple and he’s leaving it up to his team to decide how much they want to win.
“I’m not gonna lay down and die, I’m going to put another roster together, we’re gonna come into Tuesday night and we’re going to be at home and we’ll put it all on the table in the last game,” Wong said. “The message will be really clear, you guys will do what you want to do. When you know it’s your last game potentially. We hoped that last year they can find some drive and find some punch in their game that allows us to extend the series to a Game 5.”
