NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Mat Ward celebrates his first of two second period goals in a 10-1 win Saturday at Co-op Place over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
A wild Saturday night at Co-op Place sets the Medicine Hat Tigers up for a super Sunday.
The Tigers trounced the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes 1-01 at Co-op Place, winning the final home game of the regular season. They also take the season series with the Highway 3 rival, 5-3. Saturday’s win was also the ninth in a row for the Tigers.
With the win, the Tigers will head to Calgary on Sunday to battle the Hitmen for first place in the Eastern conference.
Lethbridge was without forwards Miguel Marques, Brayden Yager, Logan Warmold, defenceman Kale Tipler and goaltender Jackson Unger were healthy scratches Saturday night, as their playoff placing was set ahead of the contest. Desjardins says the game isn’t a reflection of how Lethbridge will play come playoff time.
He liked how his team played throughout, especially with the bloated lead.
“Guys played hard, our penalty killing was great, power play was good and we were able to play every line,” Desjardins said.
The Tigers outshot the Hurricanes 43-19, Lethbridge won the face-off battle 33-30. Medicine Hat was 1-4 on the power play, Hurricanes held scoreless across seven power plays.
They opened the scoring 4:29 into the game, capitalizing on a power play.
Gavin McKenna put a puck toward the net for the front-door tap-in for Liam Ruck. Bryce Pickford had the second assist on Ruck’s first of the night. The assist extends McKenna’s point streak to 39 games, the second-longest in the CHL since 2000. He finished with a five-point night.
Just under three minutes later, McKenna tipped in a shot from Veeti Väisänen for his 38th of the season. Marcus Pacheco had the second assist.
With exactly four minutes left in the opening frame, Hunter St. Martin found twine. The Florida Panthers prospect flew up the ice before unleashing a wrist shot past Koen Cleaver for his 38th of the year and the 3-0 lead after 40 minutes. Oasiz Wiesblatt and McKenna had the helpers. The assist extends Wiesblatt’s point streak to 11 games.
The 20-year-old tipped his cap to the 6,246 in attendance, the largest crowd at Co-op Place since March 11, 2023.
“It was great the fans all came out and filled out all the seats and were super loud, they gave us energy,” Wiesblatt said. “I was really happy with the boys and how they played, it was good to stick with things and not get complacent or relax. It was good to stomp on them a little bit.”
Lethbridge kicked things off in the second. Vegas Golden Knights’ prospect Jordan Gustafson found the back of the net on a rush chance with at four-on-four just 34 seconds into the period to make it a 3-1 game. That was the lone goal Harrison Meneghin allowed, making 18 saves for his 22nd win of the season.
He’ll likely get the start Sunday at Calgary against the Hitmen. It’s the type of game and moment the net minder calls a privilege to play in.
“It’s one of those games where everything small matters…,” Meneghin said. “If you told us at the beginning of the year we could win the conference if we just won one game, we would have said yes. So we’re super excited for this opportunity and we’re going to go and try to do that tomorrow.”
Medicine Hat responded with four unanswered goals in the period.
Just past the 4-minute mark, Mat Ward came off the bench and wired home an open chance for his first of the night. Pacheco and Niilopekka Muhonen had the assists. A mere 1:42 later, Väisänen fired a shot from the point that snuck through Cleaver for Utah Hockey Club prospect’s third goal of the season. Ruck and Tanner Molendyk had the assists.
Ward struck again later in the frame, scoring with a tap-in fresh off a penalty kill, making it a 6-1 lead with his 19th of the season. Wiesblatt had the lone assist.
They ended the frame with Ruck’s second of the night. He threw a puck towards the net from the slot, finding the back of the net for his 25th of the season, making it 7-1 with 1:37 left in the middle frame. Väisänen and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll had the assists.
The Tigers poured it on in the third period, with three more goals and the 10-1 final.
Just 2:31 into the period, McKenna scored on a shorthanded rush for his second of the night and 39th. He deked twice around a defender before scoring to make it a 7-1 game. St. Martin had the lone assist.
Ryder Ritchie scored 10:23 later with a shot that trickled through the Lethbridge net minder. McKenna and Jonas Woo has the assists on Ritchie’s 29th. Woo made his return to the lineup Saturday night after being out since Feb. 15 with an upper-body injury. His assist was his 100th career WHL point.
“It was great to have (Jonas) back, he was a little rusty but it’s great having him back,” Desjardins said. “Having him and Pickford, when they get going they’re a really good pair. We have one more game and then they have to be at their best.”
The Tigers capped off the game with a second shorthanded goal. St. Martin flew up the ice, scoring his second of the night the same way he did his first, by unleashing a wrister that found twine. Josh Van Mulligan and Muhonen had the assists on his 39th.
With the Tigers win, and the Calgary Hitmen beating the Red Deer Rebels 4-1, Sunday’s meeting at the Saddledome between the Medicine Hat and Calgary will decide the Eastern conference and Central division leader. The winner finishes first in the conference and will face the Swift Current Broncos in the first round of playoffs. The loser finishes third in the conference, facing the Saskatoon Blades.
Desjardins has an easy ask for his group ahead of the must-win.
“Are you done yet, have you had enough or do you want more,” Desjardins said. “If you want more, than you’re going to have to earn it. They’re not going to give you anything, so the only way you’re going to get it is to earn it.
“We’re going to have to play hard and it’s going to have to be every guy on every shift. So it’s great, it’s a playoff game before the playoffs begin, its the perfect game to get you ready.”
Puck drop for that game is 5 p.m.
Game notes
Three starsFirst star: MH Oasiz Wiesblatt (two assists)
Second star: MH Mat Ward (two goals, one assist)
Third star: MH Harrison Meneghin (18 saves, win)
