Tigers hold on for 3-2 win Saturday at home

By James Tubb on December 14, 2024.

NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer squares up for a breakaway save in the first period of a 3-2 win Saturday at Co-op Place over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Medicine Hat Tigers came out on top of a nail-biter Sturdy night.

The Tigers held on for a 3-2 win at Co-op Place over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, their first win of the season over the Highway 3 rival.

Medicine Hat came into the contest off a 5-1 win Friday at Moose Jaw over the Warriors.

Associate coach Joel Frazer liked his team’s reserve in the win.

“I thought Switzer was great in the net,” Frazer said. “That was just a huge division game. That’s a really good hockey team over there, so to pull that one off, that’s a big one.”

Starter Jordan Switzer made 32 saves for the win, his 11th of the season. The net minder liked what he saw from his team late.

“Over this past few weeks, I think we’ve been focused on the buy in and that’s huge for our guys,” Switzer said. “We’re playing down, blocking shots, doing whatever we can to win and that’s a huge part of our success here.”

After a quiet first period, the Tigers scored twice on a pair of power plays in the middle frame.

On the man advantage in the middle of the period, Medicine Hat scored on a one-timer from Mat Ward.

Andrew Basha had the puck at the high point and sent a pass to the 20-year-old for the goal at 9:53. Andrew Basha and Hunter St. Martin had the assists on Ward’s seventh.

They cashed in again on a second power play.

St. Martin had the puck at the side of the Lethbridge net on a man advantage. He looked to make a pass out front and instead, the puck bounced in off a defender for the 2-0 lead at 16:27. Ward and Basha had the assists on St. Martin’s team-leading 22nd.

The Hurricanes made a comeback bud in the third, with a pair on the power play.

They scored at 9:40, with Hayden Pakkala getting the final knock on a bouncing puck in front of Switzer to break his shutout bid. Will Sharpe and Kooper Gizowski had the assists on his seventh.

The Tigers regained a two goal lead a little under five minutes later.

Lethbridge tried to breakout of their end but Ryder Ritchie held the puck in the offensive end. He sent a pass to a streaking Oasiz Wiesblatt who scored on a backhand in tight for the 3-1 lead at 14:08. Ritchie had the lone assist on Wiesblatt’s 14th. The goal extends both players point streaks, Wiesblatt to nine games and Ritchie’s to five.

The Hurricanes drew within one with 2:34 left in the game. On a power play with the goalie pulled, Noah Chadwick fired a seeing eye shot from the point to make it a one-goal game. Logan McCutcheon and Trae Johnson had the assists on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect’s eighth.

Lethbridge pushed for the tying marker in the last stretch of the game, with the Tigers laying out for blocked shots and sending the puck down the ice for the empty net.

They held on for the 3-2 win, a prideful moment for Wiesblatt seeing the team close out the game.

“There’s a lot of growth, the forwards are trying to block it a little bit more right now,” Wiesblatt said. “We just have to keep on trying to block shots.”

Across the ice from Switzer, Koen Cleaver made 21 saves. Lethbridge outshot the Tigers 34-24, they also won the faceoff battle 33-27.

The Tigers (19-13-1) head to Lethbridge on Sunday for a 6 p.m. road game against the Hurricanes. It’s the last game of the first-half for the Tigers, one they have to capitalize on Wiesblatt says.

“It’s going to show resilience of our group and how much of a big change of we’ve made since the start of the year,” Wiesblatt said.

Frazer thanks the 3,694 in attendance for the last home game before the holidays.

“We really appreciate the support, the whole first half they’ve been great,” Frazer said. “Tonight, we didn’t have a whole lot of energy in the first period and the fans stuck with us, and started getting loud. We feed off that energy and really appreciate it.

“Just want to wish them all Merry Christmas and happy and safe holidays.”