Slow starts cost Tigers on the road Saturday

By James Tubb on November 1, 2025.

Medicine Hat News

A series of slow starts put the Medicine Hat Tigers behind Saturday on the road.

The Tigers couldn’t rebounded from early goals in each period by the Oil Kings, falling 6-1 in Edmonton. The loss was the final of a seven-game road trip for the Tigers coming off a 3-2-1 B.C. division road trip.

The Oil Kings rattled off a pair of goals early in the opening frame.

Just 2:08 into the contest, Edmonton had pressure in the Tigers end. Adam Jecho had the puck behind the Tigers net and he sent a pass to the slot where Landon Hanson slid in behind the defence and scored on starter Jordan Switzer. Josh Lee had the second assist on Hanson’s fourth of the year.

They made it a 2-0 lead 2:03 later. On a three-on-two rush, Miroslav Holinka centred the puck for Joe Iginla who carried it into the Tigers’ end. As he passed through the slot he dished the puck to his right to Blake Fiddler who one-timed a puck past Switzer for his second on the year and the 2-0 lead.

The Tigers had a pair of power plays in the period but couldn’t score, outshooting Edmonton 11-7 in the period despite the 2-0 deficit. They ended the opening frame on a penalty kill with 15 seconds carrying over to the middle frame.

That’s where things went wacky in Edmonton. Before the puck dropped to start the period, the Tigers were assessed a delay of game bench minor due to having their lineup all take the ice instead of just the starters.

The Oil Kings capitalized on the 15 seconds of five-on-three. Max Curran scored on the man advantage, finding the back of the net as the first period expired for a 3-0 lead and putting the game back at even strength. Holinka and Ethan MacKenzie had the assists on Curran’s second of the year.

Medicine Hat controlled the pace in the majority of the third period, pushing to get on the scoreboard. They outshot Edmonton in the frame 9-7 but couldn’t crack the goose egg on the board.

For the third time in the game, the Oil Kings scored quick in a fresh period.

On an early power play, Dylan Dean, left alone in front, scored on a tap-in off a pass from Lukas Sawchyn for the 4-1 lead 1:21 into the period. Holinka had the second assist on Dean’s seventh.

They made it a 5-1 lead a little under five minutes later after some more pressure in the Tigers’ end. Ethan MacKenzie had the puck behind the Tigers net and he fed Hanson in front who scored his second of the night, fifth on the season. Parker Alcos had the secondary assist.

The Tigers got on the board at the halfway point of the third. After killing off the first half of a five-on-three penalty, Jonas Woo was sprung from the box and after picking up the puck near his blue line, started up ice. The blue liner executed some nifty stick work around a defenceman before scoring on Ethan Simcoe to snap the shutout at 10:42. Kadon McCann had the lone assist on Woo’s fourth of the season, his second shorthanded marker.

That was the lone blemish on Simcoe who finished with saves.

Edmonton rounded out their scoring with another power play goal.

After the Tigers handled a flurry of chances, throwing themselves in front of the puck, Holinka scooped it up and scored on a wraparound for his eighth of the year and the 6-1 final. MacKenzie and Curran had the assists.

Edmonton finished the game ahead in shots 29-26, also winning the face-off battle 37-15. The Tigers finished 0-4 on the power play, Edmonton went 3-9 on the power play. Switzer finished with 23 saves.

The Tigers (10-5-1) host the Tri-City Americans on Sunday for a 4 p.m. contest at Co-op Place.