Tigers come back to beat Hitmen 4-3 in the shootout Wednesday

By James Tubb on October 30, 2024.

The Medicine Hat Tigers picked up a win in comeback fashion Wednesday.

The Tigers overcame a 2-1 deficit to win 4-3 in a shootout at Calgary over the Hitmen. They came into the contest off a 5-1 win Oct. 26 at Co-op Place over the Regina Pats. Wednesday’s game marked the first of a four-game road streak for the Tigers.

Medicine Hat was on the board first, with a memorable goal for a young Tiger.

Recently-signed forward Carter Cunningham had a tap-in goal off a pass from Gavin McKenna who worked his way to the net with a series of dekes. Matt Paranych had the assists on Cunningham’s first in the WHL.

Calgary responeded with three unanswered power play goals for a 3-1 lead.

They capitalized on a five-on-three power play in the last two minutes of the first with Ethan Moore and Connor Hvidston scoring. Moore found twine early in the second on another power play.

Medicine Hat drew within one with 31 seconds left in the frame, with McKenna bouncing the puck off Calgary defender Carter Yakemchuk’s skate and into the net. Mat Ward and Jack Kachkowski had the helpers on McKenna’s seventh.

They tied the game up at 3-3 with a top-shelf snipe from Hunter St. martin 2:44 into the third. Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll had the lone assist on St. Martin’s eighth.

Medicine Hat pushed late but couldn’t find twine, sending the game to overtime. They outshot Calgary 7-0 in the extra frame to no avail for a shootout.

Harrison Meneghin stopped all three Calgary shooters and McKenna scored the game winner in the skills competition. Meneghin made 37 saves in 65 minutes of action. Across the ice from him, Eric Tu made had 39 saves.

Calgary was 3-for-5 on the power play, Medicine Hat was 0-for-4. The Hitmen won the face-off battle, 34-26.

McKenna’s two-point night puts him atop the WHL scoring lead with seven goals and 23 points.