Tigers return from holidays with 4-2 win over Rebels

By James Tubb on December 27, 2023.

The Medicine Hat Tigers were outshot and out chanced Wednesday night but held on for a road win.

The Tigers made their return from the holiday break in winning fashion, beating the Red Deer Rebels 4-2. Zach Zahara led the Tigers with a 32-save performance, with Medicine Hat outshot 34-19.

Dru Krebs opened the scoring 12:28 into the first period with his second of the season. Red Deer answered back on a power play in the middle of the second period, making it 1-1 through 40 minutes.

The Tigers opened the scoring early in the third with a power play goal from Shane Smith. Andrew Basha had the lone assist on Smith’s 18th of the season.

After Red Deer tied it up at 2-2 with 5:47 left in the game, the Tigers answered back.

Just 1:27 later, Oasiz Wiesblatt re-directed a point shot from Reid Andresen for the eventual game winner. Gavin McKenna had the second assist on Wiesblatt’s 11th, his sixth game winning goal on the season.

After Krebs pulled a puck off the Medicine Hat goal line, the Tigers were sent to the penalty kill for a delay of game penalty. They killed off a six-on-four man advantage for the Rebels and capitalized themselves with Hayden Harsanyi scoring an empty net goal late for his fifth on the year, cementing the 4-2 win.

The Tigers (22-9-2) will host the Swift Current Broncos on Friday and the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday.

Medicine Hat played without forwards Cayden Lindstrom and Tomas Mrsic on Wednesday with both scratched. Lindstrom is day-to-day with an upper body injury, Mrsic out with illness.

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