NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
The Medicine Hat Tigers and Winnipeg Ice meet at centre ice for handshakes to mark the end of the series after the Tigers fell 3-2 in Game 4, dropping the first four games of the series.
The curtains closed on the Medicine Hat Tigers 2022-23 WHL season Wednesday night.
The Tigers dropped Game 4 of their first round series against the Winnipeg Ice 3-2, falling in four straight games as their playoffs come to a close.
“We played pretty hard, that’s a good hockey team, we outshot them again but they’re just so dangerous,” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “But our guys, you have to give them tons of credit., they worked hard. It’s always tough, there’s only one team that ever gets out of (a series) that doesn’t have this day and it’s always a bad day. ”
Wednesday’s game opened up on a scary note for the Tigers with forward Oasiz Wiesblatt being driven into the boards on a crosscheck from Winnipeg forward Zack Ostapchuk. Wiesblatt had to be helped off the ice and besides taking a quick lap ahead of the third period puck drop before heading back down the tunnel, did not return to the game. Ostapchuk was given a five minute major for cross checking and a game misconduct.
Desjardins says the 18-year-old was banged up on the hit and didn’t want to risk anything by putting him back in the game.
On the five minute power play it was Winnipeg to struck first. Matthew Savoie stripped the puck in Medicine Hat’s end and scored short-handed 19 seconds into the man advantage for his sixth of the playoffs. The Tigers did answer back and capitalized on their power play as Dru Krebs scored 16 seconds after Savoie to tie the game up at 1-1 and notch his first of the postseason. Andrew Basha and Bogdans Hodass had assists on the goal.
The Ice were the first team on the board again in the second on a controversial goal 10:50 into the frame. Forward Owen Pederson was standing in the Medicine Hat crease and redirected a shot for his first of the playoffs to put Winnipeg ahead. Referees Chris Crich, Austin Weisgerber and linesmen Greg Sarauer and Will Mosswick gathered to discuss the goal and despite Pederson being in the path of net minder Beckett Langkow to fully stretch his glove, the goal stood. Desjardins was told by the officials it was an un-reviewable play.
“I don’t think they got a great look at it, can’t review it, so that puts him in a really bad spot,” Desjardins said. “Both are really quality referees, they’re good referees. It was really a tough series, the refs are good we just couldn’t find a way to do it.”
Medicine Hat evened up the game 5:09 later on Hunter St. Martin’s first of the playoffs as he knocked in a loose puck sitting beside Winnipeg goaltender Daniel Hauser. Krebs and Tomas Mrsic had the helpers on that goal which had the game at a 2-2 draw after 40.
It didn’t take long into the third period for Winnipeg to pot the eventual game winner. Ty Nash scored 1:10 into the final frame, recording the final goal of the series. Medicine Hat pushed in the remaining time of the third and had chances with the goalie pulled but could not get the equalizer.
Langkow made 18 saves on 21 shots while across the ice Hauser turned aside 30 of the 32 Tigers chances he faced. The Tigers outshot Winnipeg 32-21, giving them the shots leads throughout the series. As the final whistle blew the 3,059 Tigers faithful in attendance cheered on their local team during the final handshake line with Winnipeg.
