NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Misha Volotovskii is stopped on a penalty shot by Swift Current net minder Reid Dyck in the third period of the Broncos 5-4 Game 3 win Tuesday at the InnovationPlex.
The Medicine Hat Tigers can out away the brooms.
The Tigers trailed by two goals Tuesday night, tying the Swift Current Broncos before ultimately falling 5-4 in Game 3 at the InnovationPlex. Medicine Hat holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series following a pair of weekend wins at Co-op Place.
Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins liked his team’s effort in the loss.
“We played pretty good, this is a tough building, they’re good team and it doesn’t surprise me,” Desjardins said. “(Game 4) tomorrow is going to be a tough game too, every night it’s going to be like that. But they’ve got a good team, they have lots of speed. So we had our chances, we just didn’t capitalize.”
Medicine Hat outshot the Broncos 36-26 and Swift Current won the face-off battle 37-23. The Tigers opened the scoring for the third-straight game in the series.
After a series of chances both ways, Oasiz Wiesblatt carried the puck into the Swift Current end and was met with defenders in the slot. He was tied up, leaving the puck sitting idle for Bryce Pickford who picked it up, curled and fired home a shot for the lead 9:03 into the game.
Wiesblatt and Josh Van Mulligen had the assists on Pickford’s third of the series, giving Wiesblatt points in 15 straight games.
Swift Current tied the game up 49 seconds later.
Trae Wilkie, appearing in his first game of the series after missing the first two with injury, wired a shot on net that beat starter Harrison Meneghin for the 1-1 score. Rylan Gould and Connor Dale had the assists.
Medicine Hat appeared to re-gain the lead with a goal from Ryder Ritchie. The Minnesota Wild prospect knocked in a loose puck in the crease but the goal was immediately waved off for incidental contact with Dyck as a Tiger bumped the goalie seconds before the goal.
The Broncos quickly took advantage, grabbing their first lead of the series 3:49 later with another first. Carlin Dezainde carried the puck up ice and released a shot that beat Meneghin on the glove side for the 2-1 Bronco lead. Grayson Burzynski and goaltender Reid Dyck had the assists on Dezainde’s first of the series.
Before the opening frame ended, the game was four-on-four as Ritchie was sent to the box for getting punched in the face. Gould was also assessed a penalty for roughing.
Medicine Hat started the second period with a four-on-three power play as Hunter Mayo was penalized for a late hit to the head.
The Tigers tied the game up early in the middle frame. Josh Van Mulligen fired a shot on net from the point for his first of the playoffs and the 2-2 scored 5:16 into the second. Gavin McKenna and Wiesblatt had the assists, McKenna’s helper giving him points in 43 straight games.
Swift Current rattled off a pair of goals with a pair of goals from the former Tiger and Prince George Cougar Dezainde. He scored 1:49 later, tapping in a bouncing puck off a shot from Peyton Kettles at the point. Hunter Mayo had the second assist.
Dezainde sent hats flying with a power play goal 1:45 later, scoring at four-on-three for the 4-2 lead. That goal ended Meneghin’s night, making seven saves. Jordan Switzer took over and made 14 stops in his 30:11 of action. Clarke Caswell and Mayo had the assists.
Medicine Hat responded late in the frame, with a shorthanded goal from Hunter St. Martin.
The 19-year-old Florida Panthers prospect flew up ice with the puck and scored with a laser of a shot, his first goal of the series and eighth shorthanded marker on the season. Mat Ward had the lone assist.
The Broncos were 1-4 on the power play, the Tigers went 0-2, failing to score on the man advantage for the first time this series. They tied the game up early in the third period with a goal from the top line.
McKenna had the puck behind the Bronco net and sent a pass to Wiesblatt out front for the one-timer and the 4-4 scored 9:26 into the third. Ritchie had the second assist on Wiesblatt’s sixth goal of the season.
Misha Volotovskii had a breakaway chance with 4:08 in the frame and was hooked up, earning penalty shot. He was stopped on the free chance by Dyck who finished his night with 31 saves.
The Broncos iced the win with a goal from Connor Dale, who was sent for a rush and scored on Switzer for the 5-4 final.
Before the final buzzer, the Tigers had chances with the goalie pulled but couldn’t solve Dyck before fisticuffs in the corner. Four players aside were handed roughing penalties with McKenna handed a game misconduct as well.
The Tigers will be back at the InnovationPlex on Wednesday to face the Broncos in Game 4 of the series. Game 5 will be Friday in Medicine Hat, tickets at Co-op Place go on sale noon Wednesday.
Editors note: The story has been updated to reflect scoring updates.
