NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs forward Randen Collier celebrates his second period goal in an 8-5 win Sunday at the Kinplex over the Okotoks Bisons. The Cubs win the second-round series with Okotoks 3-2.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Cubs eradicated some playoff ghosts Sunday afternoon at the Kinplex.
The Cubs beat the Okotoks Bisons 8-5 to win the second-round series 3-2, getting past the Bisons for the first time in the HJHL post-pandemic era. Entering the series, the Cubs had been eliminated by the Bisons in three of the their last four trips to the playoffs.
Medicine Hat had a chance to win the series Saturday night, losing 5-0 in Okotoks to set up the decisive Game 5 Sunday. Head coach Trent Derzaph described the victory as a team effort and a reset from the Game 4 loss.
“It was a big win, a team win and a big change from what we saw (Saturday) night,” Derzaph said. “They came out and we got better as the game went on.
“Our forecheck was a little stronger today and we played defensively. Obviously in the second period we scored some goals.”
A back-and-forth first period saw the Cubs open the scoring with 6:37 left in the first, Carson Kraft scoring his first of the postseason. Okotoks scored with 1:47 left in the frame, Jakob Semeniuk finding the back of the net, for the 1-1 score after 20 minutes.
The second period started similar to the first, Medicine Hat open the scoring 3:11 in with Kyle Woolridge’s first goal of the night before the Bisons responded on a power play 6:37 later, Seamus Garagan scoring.
Medicine Hat’s offence exploded, ratting off five straight goals.
Woolridge scored his second of the night, capitalizing on a power play at 12:52 for a 3-2 lead. Just 1:11 later, Austin Derzaph scored his first of the playoffs for a two-goal lead. Jacob Hazzard scored 1:23 later on a power play and Randen Collier found twine with 2:46 left in the middle frame for a 6-2 lead after 40 minutes.
The Cubs started the third period with 3:58 left on a four-minute power play and Makhi Carriere scored on the second half of the man advantage for the 7-2 lead. Okotoks made a change in net, with Carson Jerome taking over in net for Derrick Ford who stopped 25 shots. Jerome finished with six saves. The Bisons scored 53 seconds later to show life, with Nathan Flanagan scoring to make it a 7-3 game.
The five-game series boiled over in the third period with a scrum seeing a pair of fight majors aside and the Cubs finding themselves on a five-on-three penalty kill.
Okotoks scored seven seconds into the man advantage, Avery Greig scoring off a face off to make it 7-4. With 4:05 left in the game, Hunter Cobb scored to bring the Bisons within two.
Woolridge iced the game with 1:36 left, scoring his first of the night for the 8-5 final.
“Tonight we came out, we wanted to win a couple of other games but we left the foot off the gas, they scored on the chances and kind of buried us a little bit there,” Woolridge said. “But we came back, bounced back hard and we wanted it more today.”
Both Jesse Klimosko and Blake Girard had a pair of assists, Collier and Hazzard finished with a goal and an assist.
Cubs starter Marlo DeRosa, pulled in the 6-3 Game 3 win Friday, stopped 18 shots for the win Sunday. Medicine Hat outshot the Bisons 39-23 and finished 3-7 on the power play. Okotoks was 2-6 on the man advantage.
The Cubs will face the Cochrane Generals in the South final and hold home ice advantage for the best-of-five series. Game times and dates are to be announced. Cochrane beat the Strathmore Wheatland Kings 3-1 in their second-round series.
