NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Hunter St. Martin is chased down by teammates after scoring the Game 4, overtime winner to win 4-3 in Swift Current over the Broncos on Wednesday, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Loose lips sink ships, but it’s no secret the Medicine Hat Tigers look to end their first-round series tonight.
The Tigers host the Swift Current Broncos tonight at Co-op Place for Game 5 with a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. What could sink the Tigers, according to head coach Willie Desjardins, is getting too complacent.
“If we go home and relax, that’s probably the worst thing for us, we would be better to be on the road, so it’s all up to us,” Desjardins said. “We have to come and play hard because they’re a really good team. They have some skill, they have some speed. Chad Leslie has put together a good team so we have to make sure we stay ready.”
The Tigers put themselves one win away from the second round with a 4-3 overtime win Wednesday at Swift Current. They trailed 2-0 in the first seven minutes of the game before the top line of Ryder Ritchie, Gavin McKenna and captain Oasiz Wiesblatt scored three unanswered for a third-period lead.
McKenna had an assist on Ritchie’s goal, giving him points in 44 straight games.
After the Broncos tied the game up late in the third, the Tigers called game 2:08 into overtime. Hunter St. Martin, fresh out of the penalty box, was sent on a breakaway from an outlet pass from Veeti Väisänen. The Florida Panthers prospect deked to his right and scored a goal he’s dreamed of for years.
“Every time you’re in the box you think about going on a breakaway, and to be able to get that is just perfect,” St. Martin said. “Harry plays the puck, Veeti with a perfect pass, it felt really good to get that one.”
St. Martin says there was no thinking involved in the game-winning breakaway, turning back to his roots and just playing hockey. It’s the same kind of approach, to an extent, he says they’ll need for Game 5 tonight as they look to close out the series.
“You have to show up play Tigers hockey, play a full 65 minutes, and they’re not going to roll over, no team does,” St. Martin said. “We just have to make sure we show up in front of our fans and finish it off. Not even thinking about the second round, just thinking about this next game, because that’s all that matters.”
Medicine Hat outshot the Broncos 48-28 in the game but lost the face-off battle Wednesday, 36-28. They also surrendered the face-off dot in Game 3, 37-23 in favour of the Broncos. Beyond the dot, Desjardins says they have to limit the open chances the Broncos got in Swift Current.
“We’re giving them up too much, so they’re getting way too many break was on us, they’re getting way too much,” Desjardins said. “We have to do a better job on that.”
The Tigers had a travelling pack of fans with them for the two games in Swift Current with orange more than littering the green and blue in the stands of the InnovationPlex. It was a fan presence that was felt beyond the ‘Go Tigers’ chants.
“When they when they show up, it’s just more fuel, we want to do it for them,” McKenna said. “They’ve cheered us on many times this year and they’re really coming out right now in playoffs. We need them, so for them to keep showing up is perfect.”
Meneghin dons new mask
The Tigers starting goaltender had a new look Wednesday night.
Harrison Meneghin, who made 25 stops in the OT win, donned a new helmet for Game 4. The mask design features the retro ‘flying Tiger’ on his right side, the current logo on his left, Tigers in script over his forehead and ‘Harry’ on his chin.
It’s something the players asked the team to get for their goaltender, as a tribute to his family following the passing of his father Derek on March 23. Desjardins says it was a player-organized tribute. McKenna says it wasn’t one or two players who asked for it, but the entire group.
“It was something special that our team wanted to do for him, we could tell it meant a lot to him and we’re here for him,” McKenna said.
