NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Tigers forward Kadon McCann celebrates his first of two goals in a 10-1 win Monday afternoon at Co-op Place over the Red Deer Rebels.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Tigers were the top dogs Monday afternoon at Co-op Place.
The Tigers put up a 10-spot, beating the Red Deer Rebels 10-1 to snap a two-game slide. They entered play Monday off a pair of overtime loss, falling 5-4 in Red Deer on Friday and 4-3 Saturday at home to the WHL-leading Everett Silvertips.
Head coach Willie Desjardins credited their special teams in the win.
“Our power player got us some big goals in the second period to kind of put it away, our penalty killing has been good for lots of games,” Desjardins said.”I thought (Jordan) Switzer was really sharp tonight. I thought we gave up an awful lot, I think we gave way more tonight than we did in Red Deer, but it was good. Overall, lots of guys were playing, we got some breaks and it always helps when you get some breaks.”
The Medicine Hat power play went 4-5 and held Red Deer to 1-3 on the man advantage.
Markus and Liam Ruck combined for nine points in the win with Markus recording a goal and three assists and Liam notching a goal and four assists.
“That’s a good team over there, they beat us in their rink, so we knew we had something to prove tonight,” Liam said. “Every guy bought into it and that was a good game for our group heading off to the prospects game soon.”
The Rucks, as well as forward Yaroslav Bryzgalov and goaltender Carter Casey were leaving postgame for Vancouver to take part in the inaugural WHL Prospects Showcase on Wednesday.
The Tigers roared out to a 4-0 lead in the first six minutes Monday.
Kadon McCann scooped up a loose puck in the slot and scored the opener, 2:36 into the contest. Cam Parr had the lone assist. Just 40 seconds later, on a power play, Markus Ruck faked carrying the puck behind the Red Deer net and dished to twin brother Liam for the easy tap-in and his 33rd. Jonas Woo had the second helper.
The Tigers made it 3-0 36 seconds later on a shot from the high slot. Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll and Carter Cunningham had the assists on his 13th. Stengrim’s goal, coming on the Tigers fourth shot of the game, was followed by a Red Deer timeout.
After making fans wait 2:18 for another goal, Noah Davidson wried a sharp-angle shot from the bottom of the circles to beat Peyton Shore with his 20th. Markus and Liam Ruck had the assists.
The Tigers added four goals in the third period, three coming on the power play.
They started the frame off with a goal fresh off a penalty kill, a flurry of passes in the Red Deer end saw Andrew Basha break in alone and score over Shore for his ninth. Markus and Liam Ruck had the assists.
The Rebels scored with 4:26 left in the frame, Talon Brigley capitalizing on a four-on-three power play, as he cleaned up a rebound and made it a 5-1 game. That was the lone blemish against starter Jordan Switzer who finished with 22 saves in his league-leading 24th win.
Medicine Hat’s power play run began at 17:58 with a Markus Ruck one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Liam for his 15th, Woo had the second assist. Just 57 seconds later, Davidson deflected a point shot from Basha for his second of the night and 21st, Liam had the second helper.
The Rebels put themselves on a five-minute penalty kill after Kohen Lodge hit Ethan Neutens into the boards in the Tigers end at an awkward angle that jarred the overage forward. He was slow to get up and go down the tunnel, Lodge was assessed a five and a game for boarding.
The Tigers made good on the advantage before the frame ended, with Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll jamming in a loose puck behind Shore to make it an 8-1 score after 40 minutes. Yaroslav Bryzgalov and Josh Van Mulligen had the assists on Gordon-Carroll’s 11th.
Medicine Hat didn’t score on the rest of the five-minute major to start the third but added a pair of tallies to reach double digits.
McCann tipped in point shot from Gavin Kor for his second of the night, 19th on the year and Parr scored with a shot from the high slot for his fourth of the season, Gordon-Carroll and Carter Cunningham picking up assists.
The Tigers (37-9-5-3) outshot Red Deer 38-23. They’re off until Friday when they head to Lethbridge before hosting the Hurricanes on Saturday at Co-op Place.
