NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers goaltender Harrison Meneghin stretches out after making a paddle save in the first period of WHL action Sunday at Calgary against the Hitmen.
The Medicine Hat Tigers are tops of the Eastern conference.
The Tigers beat the Calgary Hitmen 5-2 Sunday on the road, clinching first place in the Eastern conference and Central division. It’s the first time the Tigers have won the conference since 2006-07. With the win, the Tigers will face the Swift Current Broncos in the first round of the WHL playoffs.
Medicine Hat and Calgary came into the final game of the regular season tied for first place. The win is also the 10th in a row for the Tigers.
Calgary net minder Anders Miller made a highlight reel save early in the contest, a major reason the contest remain tied after 20 minutes. The Tigers had number heading into the Calgary end, Gavin McKenna sent a pass cross-crease to Jonas Woo who fired a shot that rested in Miller’s glove.
The 17-year-old Miller made the start with Hitmen overage net minder Daniel Hauser scratched with a lower-body injury. He started Saturday night in Calgary’s 4-1 win over Red Deer, leaving after 20 minutes of action.
After a back and forth first period, the second frame showed similar ping-pong action with the puck finding twine.
The Tigers kicked things off early in the frame as Ethan Neutens found himself all alone in the high slot with the puck and he curled and dragged before unleashing a wrister that beat Miller for the 1-0 lead 1:59 into the frame. Josh Van Mulligan had the lone assist on Neutens’ fifth.
Calgary responded just before the middle of the frame, scoring on a breakaway.
While at four-on-four, Ben Kindel was left alone in the neutral zone and he took a pass from Axel Hurtig before flying into the Tiger end. He went backhand and scored on Harrison Meneghin, tying the game up at 8:25 with his 35th of the season.
Medicine Hat turned up ice minutes later with a breakaway chance that went wide. Mat Ward was up ice with no defender around him when he received a pass. He skated in on Miller and fired the puck wide, keeping it a 1-1 game.
Before the period ended, after sustained pressure from the Hitmen in the Tigers’ end, Medicine Hat grabbed a 40-minute lead.
An odd man rush saw Oasiz Wiebslatt drop pass to St. Martin who opted to McKenna who dropped to Tanner Molendyk and he took care of business. The former Saskatoon Blade loaded up and wired home his ninth of the season to put the Tigers up 2-1 with 58 seconds left in the frame.
McKenna’s assist gives him points in 40 straight games, the second highest total in the CHL since the 1999-2000 season.
They outshot the Hitmen 11-10 in the period and 20-18 after 40 minutes.
Medicine Hat kicked things off to start the third. After a standout save from Meneghin, denying Tanner Howe on his between-the-legs chance, the puck went up ice to a streaking McKenna. He chopped the puck five-hole on Miller for his 40th of the season and the 3-1 lead 2:36 into the frame.
The Hitmen drew within one off a pop fly that would send major leaguers at MLB spring training into a fit. Meneghin made a save that saw the puck bounce high in the air. It landed in the slot for David Adaszynski who scored his ninth, making it a 3-2 game at 11:12.
After Calgary had all of the pressure in the Medicine Hat end, the Tigers capitalized off a turnover. A failed exit pass found Jonas Woo who sent the puck to McKenna for his second of the night and the 4-2 lead at 16:31.
The Tigers iced the win with an empty net goal from Veeti Väisänen at 17:03, his fourth goal of the season.
Meneghin made 35 saves for his 23rd win of the season.
