Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Tanner Molendyk carries the puck into the Lethbridge end with Hurricanes' forward Logan Warmold trailing in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Championship series at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Molendyk scored and had three assists as the Tigers mounted a 7-6, overtime comeback win to hold a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
LETHBRIDGE
The Medicine Hat Tigers acquired Tanner Molendyk for myriad reasons.
The calm, cool approach he has with the puck in his own end or on the blue line in the offensive zone. His slick passing and ability to be a one-man breakout, flying up ice while weaving through waves of defenders looking to avoid a highlight-reel embarrassment.
Since being acquired from the Saskatoon Blades on Jan. 6, he’s been exactly what the Tigers have needed and asked for. Tuesday’s Game 3 comeback win in Lethbridge was the prime example of why they paid the price they did for the Nashville Predators prospect.
The Tigers trailed Lethbridge 4-1 halfway through the game, seemingly destined for their first loss in nine games and a mere 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Championship series with the Hurricanes, who have shown resiliency in these playoffs. They overcame a Game 5 overtime loss in the second round against the Calgary Hitmen, winning two straight to win the series and face the Tigers in the East finals.
As the Tigers fell behind by three goals in the VisitLethbridge.com Arena, a switch was flipped for the 20-year-old who was having a good game but clearly found the next level.
He made a cross-ice pass on a power play, one the Tigers had already had a goal called back on, hitting Liam Ruck with the puck for a 4-2 goal. A little over three minutes later, Molendyk had the puck in the neutral zone and carried the load himself, busting his way past defenders and in on Hurricane net minder Jackson Unger before scoring glove side to make it a 4-3 game.
“Those usually don’t go in for me, they go 20 feet over the net,” Molendyk joked post game. Head coach Willie Desjardins says the blue liner took control of the game when he had to.
“He really stepped up his game, like he was on a mission,” Desjardins said. “He turned it up three or four times where he was on a mission trying to get us back in it. So he was really good tonight and that was huge for us.”
Molendyk sprung Mat Ward on a shorthanded goal early in the third and had the second assist on the game-tying goal with 1:10 left in the game.
Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt scored the winner in overtime and put the Tigers one win away from their first trip to the WHL finals since capturing the franchise’s fifth title in 2007. He marvelled at Molendyk’s play on the blue line and the impact it had Tuesday night.
“He just turned it on,” Wiesblatt said. “He was buzzing all night, you could just notice his speed and how effective he really is on the blue line.”
Molendyk has played a lot of meaningful hockey over the last calendar year. He suited up in 50 games for Saskatoon last season on their run to a Scotty Munro title, adding 16 games in a marathon playoff that ended in a thrilling East finals loss to eventual champion Moose Jaw Warriors.
Add in five World Junior games for Canada this winter and the Tigers’ second-half push for the Eastern conference, there’s hard miles on the Tabbies’ hired gun.
In a game the Tigers maybe shouldn’t have won but found a way to, and as he has before this season, Molendyk’s efforts were beyond advertised, illustrating why he’s wearing the orange and black in late April.
“Was a little slow to start, but as we got down, I started ramping up,” Molendyk said. “I mean, it’s kind of what I’m here for. I like to ramp it up when it gets to a higher intensity.”
Entering play Wednesday, he sits 10th in defenceman scoring in the playoffs with three goals and 12 points in 12 games.
As exciting as it is for the Tigers franchise to be one win away from the league finals, it’s a similar vain for Molendyk and fellow former Blade Misha Volotovskii, both falling just one win short last year against the Warriors. Whether they’re able to capture that fourth win Wednesday or it comes later in the series, Molendyk says they have the team to get them there.
“We’ll go into it with the same mindset we’ve had all series,” Molendyk said. “The fourth one is always the hardest to win, I think we have the group in there to do it but it won’t be easy.”
