NEWS FILE PHOTO
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Tyson Moss projects to see a bump in playing time with Bryce Pickford out week to week with an upper-body injury. Moss is pictured taking warmups on Jan. 7.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Tigers are back at home with very little rest for the Eastern conference leaders.
The Tigers return to action tonight, hosting the Swift Current Broncos before the East division-leading Prince Albert Raiders roll into Co-op Place on Saturday.
They head into the weekend still holding onto that No. 1 spot in the conference and Central division, with the Calgary Hitmen nipping behind by just two points and two games in hand. Head coach Willie Desjardins says the perception is the return from a road trip is easier but he says they’re in for a tough weekend.
“Everybody now is fighting for a spot in the playoffs and playoff positions, so you won’t get another easy game the rest of the year,” Desjardins said.
“The road treated us good. It was great for us to go out there and play good as a group. But coming back, there’s lots of good teams over here, so it’s going to be hard.”
The Tigers are up two points on the Hitmen, and seven points up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes who have played three fewer games. It’s created a second-half of pressure Desjardins says will either make them better or have them beaten.
“The way you always prepare is that every game is going to be a battle,” he said. “If you ever under prepare for a game, it’s a big, big mistake. So you can never under prepare. So the way is, every game you go in, you know it’s going to be a hard game, and then you take it from there.”
The Tigers skated Thursday in a full practice, with Tanner Molendyk and Jordan Switzer back in action after both being affected by injuries in the last game of the U.S. trip. Desjardins says the third injury from the road trip, Bryce Pickford’s upper-body ailment, remains with a week to week status as he is being evaluated.
Pickford had to leave early in the first period of the 4-3 shootout loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds after suffering an injury in a fight. When asked about the fight, Desjardins says they have to be smart about fighting as they can’t afford to lose players.
He followed that up saying he thought Pickford did nothing wrong in that moment.
“Picks has been an unbelievable player for us, he’s been a great leader,” Desjardins said. “We want guys that’ll stick up for each other, so it’s a bit of a tough spot, but it certainly hurts to lose him.”
Desjardins says Tyson Moss will be the first to step up and absorb some of the minutes on the blue line, with 16-year-old Riley Steen also an option on the back end.
The 17-year-old Moss has played 11 games with the Tigers since signing from the BCHL in early December. In that span, Moss picked up his first WHL assist and has impressed Desjardins with his work both on and off the ice.
“When he first got here, we were beat up, we had lots of guys down so he got some ice time,” Desjardins said. “He’s done well. He’s good with the puck, sees the ice really well and he works extremely hard. We get off the road and he’s in here working out for three hours. So you got to love a player that wants to get better. He’s pushing himself and he’ll get better. It’s good for us to have both him and Steen, they’re good guys.”
Moss says he’ll handle the extra time as it comes.
“I just have to take it one shift at a time,” Moss said. “I’ve been training every day and stuff. So now that I’m getting in, it’s just taking one shift at a time and go from there.”
The Port Moody, B.C. product has enjoyed his time with the Tigers, growing closer every day with a group that has known one another for a while. He says they’ve been welcoming right from his signing day on Dec. 11, on through the U.S. division trip.
“Even the first week, everyone was so welcoming, everyone was talking to me and showing me what to do,” Moss said. “If I didn’t know anything, they’d just let me know what to do. So, yeah, just great group of guys and just super welcoming.”
