NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Josh Van Mulligen squares up for a fight with Winnipeg ice defender Wyatt Wilson in the second period of a 7-2 Game 3 loss on Tuesday at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers went into Wednesday in a do-or-die situation in their first-round series.
With a 7-2 loss in Game 3 Tuesday against Winnipeg, the Tigers trailed the Ice 3-0 in their best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 on Wednesday. Medicine Hat outshot the Ice 88-81 in the first three games of the series but had been doubled up offensively, allowing 17 goals to their seven.
Associate coach Joe Frazer says the focus heading into Game 4 was staying out of the box and capitalizing on opportunities.
“Obviously they have a talented group, a lot of skill, so when you do give up a chance usually they find the back of the net,” Frazer said. “We have to make sure we’re sound defensively, maintain that group of five and make them come through all of us. Then when we get our chances we have to make sure we’re bearing down and being hard on it.”
The Tigers led the WHL playoffs with 18 penalties taken and have surrendered seven power play goals against, also top of the league. They’ve had 12 power plays and have scored on three of them.
Captain Owen MacNeil says they have to keep pushing and work their way out of the goals and series deficit.
“We’re a little bit snake bit when it comes to hitting posts, and obviously they found ways to score, at any given night it’s different, so that’s frustrating,” MacNeil said. “But all you can do is keep trying to find those goals. Wednesday is huge, obviously it’s a do-or-die game and we have to find a way to figure it out.”
The Tigers were without 19-year-old defenceman Rhett Parsons on Tuesday as the Cremona product was serving a one-game suspension from his check from behind penalty and game misconduct in Saturday’s loss in Winnipeg. He was back in Wednesday’s lineup.
Frazer says he was impressed with how the five defencemen battled and the energy Josh Van Mulligen showcased.
“We missed Rhett, he’s a huge part of the D-core,” Frazer said. “When you have five against team like that it’s tough but I thought the guys battled. It wore on us a little bit because our defencemen took four penalties so it’ll be nice to get Rhett back.
“Josh Van Mulligen battled, we talked about competing and going after it and I thought he he competed. He’s hard, physical, had a fight. He was playing playoff hockey, and I really liked him.”
Brendan Lee and Gavin McKenna scored the Tigers’ goals in the loss, both registering their first career WHL playoff markers. With the 3-0 deficit in the series, Wednesday could mark the final WHL game for 20-year-olds Lee, Dallon Melin and Kurtis Smythe.
“It obviously could be my last game, but I don’t really see it that way,” Lee said. “We’re just going to come out Wednesday, play our best and do or die. We have to bring everything we got.”
