Tigers weather storm, beat Hurricanes 3-2 Saturday

By James Tubb on January 13, 2024.

Medicine Hat Tigers fans who braved the cold were treated to a show Saturday night.

The Tigers played bounce back with a 3-2 win at Co-op Place over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. 

Medicine Hat lost the night prior down Highway 3, falling 5-2 to the Hurricanes. Associate coach Joe Frazer liked their effort in the win, especially how they rebound off the loss.

”It was better, much better of an effort,” Frazer said. “Our forecheck was way better with the group of five. Our forwards were going hard, finishing checks and the defence was up. It  was just all around a better effort tonight.”

Medicine Hat battled the elements upon their return from Lethbridge on Friday with some players and coaches cars frozen and not starting.

Frazer thanks the 3,060 Tigers fans in attendance for battling the weather.

“I’ve never seen it this cold, so for them to come out and support us, those were some true fans tonight,” Frazer said.

Lethbridge opened the scoring with the only goal of the first period.

On a hurricanes power play, Logan Warmold fired a puck that ricocheted off Bogdans Hodass’ skate and into the net. Noah Chadwick and Miguel Marques had the helpers as Lethbridge led 1-0 1:52 into the game and after 20 minutes.

The play went back and forth through the first half of the second period before Medicine Hat got on the board. Just 2:46 past the halfway mark of the frame, Shane Smith picked up a loose puck above the circles and fired a shot that found twine to tie it up.

Hunter St. Martin and Dru Krebs had the helpers on Smith’s 20th of the season, a career high.

Justin under four minutes later, Medicine Hat struck again. Three Tigers broke on a three-on-one breakaway with Oasiz Wiesblatt dropping the puck to St. Martin who wired home his 14th.

Medicine Hat led the frame in shots 13-3 and led 2-1 after 40 minutes.

They held on in the third, grabbing a 3-1 lead early. Smith stood his ground out front of the Hurricane net on a power play and knocked in a corner pass from Wiesblatt for his second of the night and 21st of the season. Gavin McKenna had the second assist.

Smith was happy to get the offence but happier they got the win, describing it as another statement for the group.

”Obviously last night not having the game we wanted, so it was just getting back to our game,”Smith said. “Being really physical, getting on our forecheck and things like that, that’s what led to the results tonight. So it was a really good bounce back.”

The Hurricanes struck late with the net empty. Dylan Sydor redirected a shot that just snuck through Ethan McCallum to make it a 3-2 game.

A later Hurricanes penalty nullified their momentum as Medicine Hat held on for the 3-2 victory. McCallum made 17 saves on 19 shots and across the ice from him, Harrison Meneghin turned aside 33 shots.

Medicine Hat was without forward Andrew Basha and Cayden Lindstrom. Basha missed his second game after getting a minor cut on his leg in Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Spokane Chiefs. Lindstrom is still tagged out longer term with an upper body injury.

The Tigers (26-13-2) are in action again on Tuesday, when they’ll play host to the new-look Swift Current Broncos.

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