FILE PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha works on his stick-handling ahead of an 7-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers on Feb. 25 at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Andrew Basha enjoyed his first taste of Western Hockey League playoff action and says it was what he expected from the postseason.
The Tigers forward leads Medicine Hat in scoring with three goals, coming off a two-goal performance in their Game 1 loss and a solo marker in Game 2’s defeat, both against the Winnipeg Ice. Basha says he was just happy to help the team in their push.
“The puck was just finding the back of the net in a good way,” Basha said. “Personally it was good but obviously we wanted to win at least one of those games. So it’s going to be a huge, huge game (today). We really need that one.”
The Tigers’ first opportunity to claw back in the best of seven series against the WHL’s top team was Tuesday at Co-op Place, trailing in the best-of-seven series 2-0. Game 4 goes tonight, also in Medicine Hat.
The 17-year-old, who had 20 goals and 56 points in 67 games in the regular season, says the whole team is excited to play in front of their home crowd.
With Basha having the offensive performances he did through the first two games of the series, head coach Willie Desjardins was glad to see him get his dues and looks toward the entire team to step up going forward.
“It’s good for Basha to get rewarded, he plays hard, he’s a good skilled player and you know, it’s good for him to get rewarded at that end of the rink,” Desjardins said. “But overall, it’s going to take a team, we’re not going to beat them with one or two guys. We have to have beat them with our depth and we have to be able to play everybody and they have to play hard.”
The Tigers were plagued with penalties in their first two contests against Winnipeg, taking 11 combined and allowing a total of five power play goals against. Medicine Hat had a combined eight power plays and capitalized twice with the man advantage.
Basha says other than taking fewer penalties, the Tigers just need to focus on playing the style of hockey which got them into the playoffs.
“I honestly don’t think we need to change much, 95 per cent of it is just taking less penalties,” Basha said. “As well as our power play could, if we get a couple in a game, that’s going to help the team win. We’re right there with them five-on-five. I really don’t think there’s much change other than penalties.”
Parsons suspended for Game 3
Tigers defenceman Rhett Parsons was not in the Medicine Hat lineup for Game 3 after he was handed a one-game suspension.
The 19-year-old was suspended for a check from behind major and game misconduct penalty in Medicine Hat’s 5-2 loss on Saturday in Winnipeg.
