NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Andrew Basha embraces the crowd after scoring an empty net goal in the third period of a 4-2 win Saturday at Co-op Place over the Swift Current Broncos.
There’s something about a Saturday night at Co-op Place between the Medicine Hat Tigers and Swift Current Broncos.
The Tigers weathered a shorthanded lineup and held on for a 4-2 win over the Central division leading Broncos. Medicine Hat came into the contest off an 8-4 loss Friday at Swift Current, their fourth straight loss. The Tigers played with 15 skaters in both contests, with Saturday’s lineup consisting of only seven natural forwards.
Head coach Willie Desjardins says their resiliency in the third period of Friday’s game carried into the win Saturday.
“We We played good in Swift too, the third period we put up lots of shots and I thought we were real resilient in the third and it carried over to tonight,” Desjardins said. “The boys wanted it. We’re certainly short staffed and that’s a really good hockey team, a really good team. We got a big goaltending performance, Zach was really good in net, everybody contributed, you can’t get that win without everybody.”
Zach Zahara finished his night with 28 saves. Zahara was pulled midway through the game Friday after allowing four goals and says the win Saturday was a good bounce back for himself and the group.
“It was a huge game, was on a losing streak there, so it was amazing get back in the win column,” Zahara said. “A must-win game against a pretty good team.”
After a stalemate of over 36 minutes, the Tigers got on the board.
Andrew Basha fired a shot from the high slot that went up and over a screened Reid Dyck on a power play for the game’s first goal. Tomas Mrsic and Hunter St. Martin had the assists on Basha’s first of the game that ignited the crowd of 4,528. Basha says they enjoy playing in front of crowds like that at Co-op Place and he is looking forward to it continuing with playoffs just a week away.
“Hopefully we get that and more in playoffs, just a great turnout with the fans,” Basha said. “We just need them to keep doing that for us, it’s really important for us.”
The Broncos answered back quickly. On a two-on-one off a breakdown in the Medicine Hat end, Mathew Ward scored on a one-time pass from Josh Filmon 51 seconds after Basha’s goal.
The second period ended at 1-1 with a Conor Geekie breakaway stop by Zach Zahara. Medicine Hat outshot the Broncos 27-19 through 40 minutes.
Medicine Hat grabbed an early lead in the third on another power play. Basha put the puck on net and St. Martin was the last to jam it in for his 24th of the season. Rhett Parsons had an assist for the 2-1 lead 8:04 into the third.
Just like the second period, the Broncos answered back with their own power play. Clarke Caswell set Conor Geekie up for a one-timer and the Arizona Coyotes prospect made no mistake, blasting home his 40th on the year for the tie.
Medicine Hat grabbed the lead soon after and held onto it.
Off a face-off in their own end after an icing, Dru Krebs chipped the puck out to a speeding Hayden Harsanyi who broke in and scored with a backhand move over Dyck for the 3-2 lead with 8:50 left in the game. St. Martin had the second assist on Harsanyi’s 12th.
With time ticking down the Tigers weathered the Broncos with the extra attacker and Basha broke out and scored on the empty net for the 4-2 final. Gavin McKenna had the lone assist on Basha’s second of the night and 30th on the season.
The Tigers (36-23-5-2) remain one point behind the Broncos for the Central division lead, with Swift Current holding two games in hand. They face the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday and the Red Deer Rebels on Wednesday before a home-and-home with the Calgary Hitmen to end the season.
The Tigers next action is Friday, the first of a home-and-home with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
