NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Cubs net minder Tyler Wakelam makes a pad save in the second period of a 5-3, Game 4 win Friday at the Kinplex over Strathmore. The win propelled the Cubs over the Wheatland Kings in the second-round series, 3-1.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Cubs took care of the games they had to in their first appearance of the HJHL playoffs.
After winning Game 1 on the road in Strathmore, the Cubs rattled off a home win for a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-game, second-round series with the Wheatland Kings. After dropping what could have been a decisive Game 3 on Wednesday at Strathmore, the Cubs took care of business on home ice Friday, winning 5-3 to take the series 3-1.
Head coach Randy Wong liked how his team responded from the loss Wednesday and avoided a Game 5 back in Strathmore.
“We reassured them that our game plan is our game plan, the instructions were to win one of those first two games in the Strathmore and we won the first one,” Wong said post game Friday. “So we had to win our home games and we did that. So, mission accomplished as far as what we talked about, as far as our game plan goes, and we just have to make sure that you get it done. Tonight they delivered and it was a solid effort by everybody.”
The Cubs trailed 1-0 after 20 minutes before rattling off three goals in the middle frame for a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes. Mason Osinski and Nolen Sutherland each scored their first of the playoffs, and Jacob Hazzard scored his second in the series in the middle frame.
After Strathmore tied the game up just past the halfway point of the third, Sutherland scored his second of the night for a lead that was solidified by an empty-net goal from Osinski. Tyler Wakelam’s 26 saves have him his third win of the series.
Sutherland’s game winner came from just throwing the puck on net, surprising the Wheatland King net minder five hole.
“It’s more of a playoff goal, put the pucks on net and you never know if it might go in or might not,” Sutherland said.
The Cubs outscored Strathmore 17-13 in the series, more importantly, they defended home ice. Friday’s crowd, Wong estimates over 600, was the loudest audience he had seen at the Kinplex in his career.
“They were behind us all the way, it was an awesome feeling,” Wong said. “The guys are certainly very supportive of that and thank the fans for coming out, we can’t wait for the next round to start.”
It’s a familiar foe for the Cubs in the third round, facing the Okotoks Bisons in the South division finals for the third time in four years. Okotoks beat the Cochrane Generals 3-1 in their semifinals series.
That series will begin Friday in Okotoks before returning to the Kinplex on Sunday, March 9. How they’ll find success, looking for their first series win over Okotoks, Wong says they’ll reflect on the series win and learn what they can.
“A lot of teams when they get to this stage, are a lot older than we are, we only graduate two guys,” Wong said. “So it’s a learning curve every game for a lot of guys and they can come back next year and repeat again.
“But for us to go through this process, game after game, it hones you for the next time that you have to play in a meaningful game. So we’ll learn from it, there’s some things that we have to tidy up.”
