NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Bryce Pickford celebrates his team record-setting 33rd goal of the season coming 32 seconds into the second period Friday at Co-op Place against the Edmonton Oilers Kings. The goal gives Pickford the franchise and WHL internet era record for goals in a single season by a defenceman. The Tigers won their 19th straight 7-3, the franchise’s 2,000th all-time win.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
Friday was a night of family celebrations at Co-op Place.
Defenceman Bryce Pickford scored his 33rd goal of the season, setting a new Medicine Hat Tigers record for goals by a defenceman in a single season and the franchise tallied its 2,000th regular season win in a 7-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. The win was the 19th in a row for the Tabbies.
The Tiger captain had family in the building for the team and WHL internet era record-setting goal, a special occasion for the Montreal Canadiens’ prospect.
“It means the world, especially to do it at home in front of our fans and in front of Medicine Hat, my teammates, my brothers and my family made it down too, so it couldn’t have been a better game to do it,” Pickford said. “The feeling was unbelievable, it’s hard to explain.”
Pickford’s goal passes the record of 32 set by Kris Russell in the 2006-07 season. Head coach Willie Desjardins coached Russell in that season and he says it’s fitting someone like Pickford would set the new record.
“Russ is really a special player, he was unbelievable, he played so hard every day, but Russell would be proud of Picks, he would appreciate him and the effort he puts in,” Desjardins said. “For Pickford, he leads us, our rooms ready, we’ve beaten Edmonton twice this week and those are really hard games. To go up there, we didn’t play great but we found a way. Came back here and the boys played hard and that’s a lot of your leadership. Pickford is a big, big part of that.”
Desjardins says the 2,000 wins, coming in the Tigers’ 56th season, illustrates the quality of people they’ve in don the orange and black. He credits the Maser family for leading the team from the top.
“It’s such a special franchise, to be part of this city, to be part of our fans, I’m really, really fortunate and I don’t take it lightly,” Desjardins said. “I enjoy every win because they’re hard to come by. But it’s certainly a great franchise to be part of and a great city to be part of.”
The line of Andrew Basha (1G, 2A) , Markus Ruck (1G, 3A) and Liam Ruck (2G, 1A) combined for 10 points in the win.
“They’re both unbelievable players, so smart and so good with the puck,” Basha said of his line mates. “We’re only getting better and it’s really exciting to see how we’re going to end up in the final stretch. I’ve had a blast with them, especially with it being their draft year, so huge for them. I try to help them as much as I can, but they’re great. They’re special players and special people.”
The Tigers opened the scoring with three straight goals from that line.
Liam redirected a point shot from Basha on a power play to open the scoring 4:20 into the game. Markus had the second assist on younger twin brother’s first of the night.
Just under six minutes later, Liam shovelled the puck home at the front of the net off a pass from Basha for a second straight power play goal. Jonas Woo had the second assist on Liam’s 24th of the season.
The Tigers struck at 14:03 with Basha carrying the puck up ice before unleashing a shot on the two-on-two that snuck through Parker Snell for a 3-0 lead. Tyson Moss and Markus Ruck had the assists on his third goal in his sixth game.
Edmonton got on the board before the opening frame wrapped up. Just after the Tigers killed off a penalty, Andrew O’Neill jammed home a loose puck at the net front to make it a 3-1 Medicine Hat lead after 20 minutes.
Just 32 seconds into the middle frame, Pickford made team history.
The Montreal Canadiens prospect skated into the Edmonton end and unleashed a shot, beating Snell for his 33rd of the season. The goal gives Pickford the franchise record for goals in a single season, passing Kris Russell’s mark set in 2006-07. The 33 goals also leads the WHL and all CHL defencemen.
They kept rolling, scoring twice more to lead 6-1.
Five and a half minutes later, Woo had the puck at the bench-side point on a power play and he worked his way down low. He skated around a sliding defenceman and scored with a shot at the net front. Markus Ruck had the assist on his 22nd.
The final Tiger goal of the frame came with 2:08 left in the period. A cluster of players crowded the crease and with the puck squirting outside the crease, Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll knocked it home for his 10th. Kade Stengrim and Luke Cozens had the assists.
Just like the first period, Edmonton scored the final goal of the frame. Fresh off a power play face-off in the Tigers end, Oil Kings blue liner Carter Sotheran unleashed a shot from the point that beat Tigers starter Jordan Switzer to make it a 6-2 game after 40 minutes.
The Oil Kings scored 4:35 into the third with O’Neill’s second of the night.
Medicine Hat rounded out the night with a late goal from Markus Ruck, firing a one-timer off a pass from Kadon McCann at 14:37. Liam Ruck had the second assist on Markus’ 10th of the season.
Switzer finished with 18 saves in the win, his league-leading 21st. Across the ice, Snell finished with 19 saves. The Tigers were 3-4 on the power play and held Edmonton to one goal on four power plays.
“Our power play was very excellent, that was the difference, our penalty killing too,” Desjardins said. “Our specialty teams , Joe (Frazer) and Josh (Maser) have done such a great job with that, they’ve been able to find ways to win games and it makes a big difference.
“I have a lot of respect for Edmonton. They have a lot of guys out, we had some key guys out too, but they’re going to be a good playoff team, they’re gonna be really, really hard to beat. We’ll have our hands full if we ever meet up with them.”
Edmonton had seven skaters scratched Friday night. The Tigers were without defenceman Veeti Väisänen (injury) and forwards Yaroslav Bryzgalov and Ethan Neutens, both serving suspensions.
Neutens received a two-game suspension for his check to the head major in Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win in Edmonton. Both he and Bryzgalov will serve their final games on Saturday when the Tigers (31-6-3-2) host the East division-leading Prince Albert Raiders (30-6-4).
