Tigers open U.S. road trip with comeback win, record eighth straight victory

By James Tubb on January 24, 2025.

The Medicine Hat Tigers kicked off their U.S. division road trip in comeback fashion Friday night.

The Tigers scored three times in a five-minute span to beat the Spokane Chiefs 3-2, recording an eighth straight win.

Harrison Meneghin made 27 saves for his 11th win of the season as the Tigers’ hit the 60-point plateau with the victory.

The Chiefs led 2-0 at the halfway point of the third period before the Tigers quieted the 7,134 in attendance.

A shot hit Spokane defenceman Sage Weinstein in the skate and it kicked out to the point, where defenceman Josh Van Mulligen fired home his second of the season to get the Tigers on the board at 10:02. Gavin Mckenna and Ryder Ritchie had the assists. The helpers extends McKenna’s point streak to 21 games, Ritchie’s to seven games.

They tied the game up 3:04 later on a power play.

Another rebound found Van Mulligen at the point and he sent a pass to Markus Ruck who dished it to Gavin McKenna for a one-timer on the right side tying the game up at 2-2 with his 21st.

Before the Tigers grabbed the lead, Meneghin stonewalled Chiefs’ forward Shea Van Olm in the slot on a one-timer to keep it a tie game heading into a media timeout.

They grabbed the lead at 15:03 with a point shot from Jonas Woo. The 18-year-old took a pass from Ryder Ritchie and wired a wrist shot from the point that found the top of the net for his eighth and the game winner.

While the Tigers scored last, Spokane kicked things off 31 seconds into the game off a play in the neutral zone.

A missed check on Andrew Cristall allowed him to make a pass to Van Olm who scored on the rush for an early 1-0 Chiefs’ lead. Berkly Catton had the secondary assist. The Tigers outshot Spokane 11-8 in the first.

Medicine Hat was outshot 11-7 in the second but the superior chances. McKenna caught the heel of a puck with a one-timer, giving net minder Dawson Cowan enough time to make a stretch-save keeping his team ahead. Hunter St. Martin had an open shot that found the iron, maintaining the lead for Spokane after 40 minutes. Cowan finished his night with 27 saves.

The Chiefs made it a brief 2-0 lead early in the third period with a goal from Assanali Sarkenov at 5:17. Rasmus Ekstrom had the lone assist. After that it was all Tigers as they secured their 28th win of the season. Medicine Hat outshot the Chiefs 30-29.

Tabbies went 1-3 on the power play, Spokane held scoreless on three power plays. The Chiefs won the face-off battle 38-20. Spokane had a 25-2 record when leading after 40 minutes coming into the game. Medicine Hat’s away record bumps up to 10-10-1 after the win.

The Tigers (28-15-2) are off to Kennewick, Wash. to face the Tri-City Americans on Saturday.