NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Tomas Mrsic reaches for a puck under Swift Current defenceman Ryan McCleary in the first period of a 4-3 overtime loss on Feb. 24 at Co-op Place.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers have played only 13 games this season without holding the division lead. That number changes to 14 tonight, when the pursuit begins to regain the title.
The Tigers lost their lead in the Central division race Tuesday when the Swift Current Broncos beat the Prince Albert Raiders 4-1, putting them one point ahead of Medicine Hat with two games in hand. Medicine Hat and the Broncos square off tonight in the first of a home-and-home series that could decide who gets the division banner.
Captain Tyler MacKenzie says the banner pursuit, that started as a rookie, comes through their habits on the ice and playing their game.
“We clinched playoffs early, you get that out of the way and you want to get that division, you want to hang a banner,” MacKenzie said. “That’s something that stays in the rink forever. When you’re coming in at a young time at 15, that’s what you talk about. You want to leave your mark and for us the banner is our goal this year and it’s still there to get.
“It’s just being able to get on the right page right now.”
The Tigers are the first to admit they’re on different pages right now, having lost three straight games for the first time this season and having put up a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games.
“You can ask any guy in there, I don’t think we played our best hockey recently,” associate coach Joe Frazer said. “So you can’t do anything about that, all we have to control is making sure we’re getting better. That’s the big point, making sure when we’re entering playoffs we’re at the top of our game and I know we will be.”
They look to do so against a team who has had their number as of late, with Swift Current winning all but two of their previous seven matchups, outscoring them 31-24 in the process. It’s a familiar position for the Tigers, heading into a pivotal-late season weekend against the Broncos. Last year they entered the final weekend of the season in a win and clinch scenario, taking until the final game to do so.
Entering this weekend, points are needed to regain the Central division lead and in the same breath, try and jumpstart a team before the most important games of the season get underway. MacKenzie says it’s the time of year they play for and he says they’re excited for the opportunity in front of them.
“These next four games, this is huge, this is what we play for and this is why you love hockey, why you cheer for the game and you’re a fan of the game,” MacKenzie. “This is why you play ultimately. So for us, this is looking at turning the page, kind of have a reset in the last few days here and forget about it, just move on.
“We’re a family here and the only ones who are going to do it are the guys in this room.”
The Tigers will remain without forwards Cayden Lindstrom and Marcus Pacheco who are labelled day to day. Goaltender Ethan McCallum will back up Zach Zahara this weekend.
