Tigers comeback twice to win 8-7 in overtime Friday
By James Tubb on October 6, 2023.
The Medicine Hat Tigers came out on top in a back and forth affair at Swift Current. The Tigers over came two separate three goals defects to win 8-7 in overtime Friday night over the Broncos. Gavin McKenna scored his third goal of the game on a five-on-four power play in the extra frame, which had just expired from a five-on-three, to win the game for Medicine Hat and collect his first career hat trick. The Tigers came into the game off a 4-2 loss Wednesday night at Regina against the Pats. Swift Current got on the board first Friday, scoring three unanswered goals in the opening frame for the early lead. Jace McFaul found the back of the net 2:05 into the contest to put the hometown Broncos ahead. Just over two minutes later, Rylan Gould scored on a power play for the 2-0 lead. Brady Birnie scored at the 7:41 mark for the Broncoc 3-0 advantage. His goal marked the second game in a row the Tigers allowed three goals in the first period. The Tigers got on the board in the first period with McKenna’s first of the game. The 15-year-old forward finished off a two-on-one breakaway pass from Cayden Lindstrom to cut the Broncos lead to 3-1. Josh Van Mulligen recorded the second assist. Swift Current capitalized on a late first period Tigers power play, as Josh Filmon scored shorthanded with 1:40 left in the frame for a 4-1 Broncos advantage after 20 minutes. Medicine Hat led the period in shots 12-10. The Tigers mounted their first comeback of the game early in the second period. Andrew Basha scored on a power play 4:34 into the period to cut the Broncos’ lead in half. McKenna and Oasiz Wiesblatt had the helpers on the marker. Exactly five minutes later Basha struck again. The 17-year-old scored shorthanded for his second goal of the game, bringing Medicine Hat within one. Shane Smith had the lone assist on the goal. The Tigers tied it up at 4-4 on a Tyler MacKenzie goal, as the captain tickled twine at the 12:33 mark. Bogdans Hodass and Basha had the assists on the tying marker. The Broncos quickly answered back in the second period, scoring two goals within 2:10 of the Tigers’ tying goal to jump ahead 6-4. Connor Hvidston scored on a power play and Gould potted his second of the ninth to re-establish the 2-0 lead. Medicine Hat again led the frame in shots, outshooting Swift Current 12-7 and 24-17 through 40 minutes. Swift Current looked for the dagger early in the third period. Hvidston scored 4:08 into the third period to put the Broncos up 7-4. Evan May started the game for Medicine Hat and made 12 saves before Zach Zahara took over between the pipes after the 7-4 goal. He made two saves in his 17:20 of action, picking up his first WHL win in the process. Facing their second three-goal deficit of the night, the Tigers geared up for the dramatics. Medicine Hat got on the board in the third period with a goal from Van Mulligen, his first of the season. MacKenzie and Basha picked up the assists. The Tigers kept rolling, capitalizing on a power play. McKenna curled and dragged the puck and fired a shot past Swift Current goaltender Joey Rocha for his second of the night. Lindstrom and Wiesblatt had the helpers on the 7-6 goal at the 11:19 mark. The Tigers tied it up for a second time just under three minutes later. Smith knocked in a loose puck in the crease to tie the game with his fifth goal of the season to make it a 7-7 game. Brayden Boehm and Reid Andresen had the assists on Smith’s goal. Medicine Hat held the momentum in the third period, as they made pushes for the lead with 4:52 left after tying the game up. The Tigers outshot the Broncos 22-3 in the third period but could not find the back of the net for a fourth time in the frame. Before the contest could transition to overtime, the Broncos committed two stick infractions to give Medicine Hat a five-on-three power play that carried into the extra period. Medicine Hat pushed in the overtime with multiple chances on Rocha. Just as the five-on-three expired, the Tigers continued their momentum in the offensive end when McKenna, the youngest player on the ice, called game and fired home his first game winning goal to win the game and secure the hat trick. McKenna’s four points was only one of seven multi point nights from the Tigers. Basha finished with five points after two goals and three assists, Wiesblatt tallied three helpers, MacKenzie, Van Mulligen and Smith each had a goal and an assist and Lindstrom collected two assists. The Tigers (4-1-1) look to carry the momentum from the back and forth win into Saturday night when they host the Moose Jaw Warriors at Co-op Place. Saturday’s contest is pink the rink night at Co-op Place, as fans will have a chance to bid on game used and autographed specialty wrapped pink sticks. There will also be team signed sticks available for auction with all the proceeds from the auction going to Medicine Hat Health Foundation and the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre. Fans are also encouraged to wear pink to show their support for all those who have been affected by breast cancer and all cancers. 20-19
