Tigers score four times in the second period Wednesday, stun Chiefs for 3-1 lead in WHL Finals

By James Tubb on May 14, 2025.

A four-goal second period Wednesday has the Medicine Tigers on the verge of a WHL Championship.

The Tigers scored three times on the power play, winning 5-2 at Spokane over the Chiefs to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven WHL Championship series.

Head coach Willie Desjardins expected a response from Spokane following the Tigers’ 6-0 Game 3 win Tuesday and he liked how his team handled it.

“It was great we got one early but then they answered back right away,” Desjardins said postgame via the WHL’s YouTube stream. “The first period they had some really good chances, the power play was the difference in the second, we capitalized on our power plays. (Hunter) St. Martin’s goal right at the end of the second was a huge goal for us.”

The Tigers were without forwards Cayden Lindstrom, Gavin McKenna and Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll, the latter suffering an injury in a 6-0 Game 3 win Tuesday. McKenna took warmups Tuesday but did not play. Marcus Pacheco, Markus Ruck and Carter Cunningham slotted into the lineup Wednesday.

Desjardins was happy to see those three players slot in and step up in the WHL Finals.

“We’ve had that all year where we’ve had injuries, so guys had to step in,” Desjardins said. “I was really excited to see Cunningham get a chance. He’s worked really hard all year and hasn’t had a chance, for me it was great for him to get a chance. I’ve always believed he could play, it’s not that I didn’t think he could. Pacheco came in too, had to sit and he came in and played hard. Markus Ruck too, he’s played all year. In lots of ways it was really great for them to get a chance because they are all good players.”

Ryder Ritchie (9) scored 31 seconds into the game, giving Medicine Hat the first goal in all four games of the series, three coming in the first minute of the game. Spokane responded 18 seconds later with a goal from Assanali Sarkenov for the 1-1 score after 40 minutes.

Chiefs’ head coach Brad Lauer says he liked his team’s response early and he credited the Tigers for their play.

“It’s not the outcome we wanted after last night’s game,”  Lauer said. There was a lot of emotion in tonight’s game, we gave up the first goal again but I liked the energy our guys brought. I thought we responded quite well getting it back to tie it. Obviously the second period we got into penalty trouble, they took advantage of it and scored three power play goals in that span and put us on our heels. We had to try to fight to get back in it.

“I’ll give them credit, they played a good game, they played a textbook-game once they got the lead. They are very structured, very detailed, making us go 200 feet.”

The Tigers roared to three power play goals in the second period for the win. Bryce Pickford scored 2:29 into the period with a laser from the top of the circles.

He did it again 7:11 later, finding the back of the net from the same spot for his 12th, scoring on a five-minute power play. Nathan Mayes caught Misha Volotovskii at centre ice with a hit after the play, sending the Tiger down the tunnel. He did not return to the game, Desjardins says they will have to evaluate him ahead of Game 5 on Friday.

Pickford’s markers extend his goal streak to seven games and his point streak to eight games. That streak is the modern WHL record for a defenceman point streak in the playoffs. Pickford also added an assist in the win and he sits one goal back of the WHL record for goals scored by a defenceman in the playoffs.

“It feels good but I couldn’t have done it without the team I’m playing with here,” Pickford said. “So I just have to keep it going.”

Andrew Basha had an assist on Pickford’s second goal for his fourth point in four WHL finals games.

The Tigers scored a second goal on the five-minute major, with Liam Ruck deflecting and then tapping in a shot from brother Markus for his sixth of the playoffs.

Spokane showed life in the frame with a power play goal from Shea Van Olm. Andrew Cristall and Berkly Catton had the assists.

Before the buzzer could sound to end the second period, Hunter St. Martin flew up ice, holding off a defender before scoring on Dawson Cowan for his sixth of the postseason. St. Martin says was upset with himself for not blocking Van Olm’s shot on the penalty kill and he wanted to steal some momentum back from the Chiefs’ crowd.

“I  saw the turnover, saw some day light and used my feet and saw day light up high,” St. Martin said. “It was a good goal for our group.”

Neither team scored in the third as the Tigers held on for the 5-2 win. Tanner Molendyk had three assists in the win. Harrison Meneghin made 28 saves for his 13th win of the playoffs. Across the ice from him, Cowan made 29 saves. 

Medicine Hat outshot Spokane 34-30. The Chiefs won the face-off battle 43-24. The Tigers were 3-4 on the power play, Spokane went 1-4 with the man advantage. With the victory, Desjardins moves into fourth all-time in WHL Playoff coaching wins with 83, passing Portland Winterhawks Mike Johnston.

Game 5 of the WHL Championship series is Friday in Spokane. Chiefs’ forward Sam Oremba says they’ll use the off day Thursday to prepare to keep their season alive.

“Not playing tomorrow is big for us,” Oremba said. “We’ll regroup, watch video and break them down a little more. We’ll be back at them on Friday, win that one and go back to Med Hat and then we’re building off that. Tomorrow is a huge day for us, leave these two days in the past and take on Friday.”

The Tigers will look to capture their first WHL Championship since 2007. Pickford, who won a WHL Championship with the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2022, also leading 3-1 in that series before capturing the Ed Chynoweth Cup, says it will be the hardest game they’ve faced.

“Their backs are against the wall so we just have to keep playing the way we are playing and bring it into Game 5,” Pickford said.

If needed, Game 6 would be Sunday and Game 7 on Monday, both in Medicine Hat.

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