Tigers win 2-1 shootout thriller Friday in Moose Jaw
By James Tubb on November 10, 2023.
The Medicine Hat Tigers went punch for punch with one of the WHL’s best Friday night, delivering the final knockout. The Tigers held on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 2-1 in a shootout on a game winning goal from Shane Smith. The 18-year-old forward scored in the fifth round of the shootout to give the Tigers their 12th win of the season. Medicine Hat opened the scoring in the game, getting on the board in the first period. Forward Andrew Basha broke into the Moose Jaw end on a two-on-one rush and fired a shot home for his sixth goal of the season and the early lead. Tomas Mrsic had the lone assist on the marker, with Medicine Hat leading 1-0 after 20 minutes. The Tigers were on the penalty kill late in the frame on a slashing call against Mrsic, giving them 53 seconds to kill off in the second period. Moose Jaw capitalized on the late stages of that power play, with Brayden Schuurman scoring his second on the year to even the same up at 1-1. That was the only offence in regulation as Moose Jaw outshot the Tigers 34-24 through 60 minutes. The overtime period was carried offensively by the Tigers who fired five shots on Moose Jaw net minder Jackson Unger. Moose Jaw pushed late in the frame and looked to capitalize on a Tiger penalty with 23 seconds left. An onslaught of shots were blocked by the Tigers with defenceman Rhett Parson taking one to the back of the head, but no one was worse for wear as they skated away to the shootout. Neither team scored on their first three shooters before Moose Jaw’s Lynden Lakovic scored in the fourth round. Cayden Lindstrom skated into the Mosoe Jaw end and fired a puck bar down to continue the skills competition. After Evan May turned aside Atley Calvert, it was Smith who called game and scored in the shootout. May finished his night with 34 saves, picking up his eighth win on the season. Across the ice from him, Unger made 27 saves. The Tigers (12-5-2) host the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday at Co-op Place. 10-9
