GAME PREVIEW: CALGARY VS MEDICINE HAT – 03.19.23
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (28-28-5-3), winners of two of their last three, are back on home ice this afternoon to host the Medicine Hat Tigers (28-27-8-1). Game time is 4:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. It’s another Sunday Funday, presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $2 sips and snacks specials all game long, look for concourse activities from TELUS Spark and a cast of characters outfitted by the Costume Shoppe. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day and the final post-game family skate of the season. The Hitmen are coming off last night’s 2-0 victory in Medicine Hat. Brayden Peters made 23 saves for his third shutout while Carter Yakemchuk, on the power play, and Sean Tschigerl, into an empty net, counted the goals. For Tschigerl it was his 24th marker of the season to establish a new career high.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Hitmen hold the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with 64 points, sitting two points ahead of Swift Current and one point behind Medicine Hat for seventh. The Broncos are off until Tuesday when they host Edmonton.
MEDICINE HAT: Today marks the sixth and final regular season meeting between the Hitmen and Tigers. Calgary is 3-2 against their Trans-Canada rivals, outscoring the Tigers 16-14. Riley Fiddler-Schultz (2g, 6a) leads the Hitmen with eight points in the season series while Sean Tschigerl (3g, 2a) is next with five. Shane Smith (3g, 1a), Cayden Lindstrom (2g, 2a), Dru Krebs (1g, 3a) and Dallon Melin (4a) are the top performing Tigers with four points each. Calgary is 9-2-1-0 in their last 12 home games with Medicine Hat.
2022-23 SERIES RECAP
Nov. 4/22 at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex: Hitmen 5 Tigers 1…The Hitmen scored five answered goals.
Nov. 26/22 in MH: Hitmen 5 Tigers 2…Five different Hitmen scored in the victory.
Dec. 2/22 in CGY: Tigers 4 Hitmen 3…The Tigers pumped 47 shots on goal.
Jan. 21/23 in MH: Tigers 7 Hitmen 1…Cayden Lindstrom led the Tigers with a goal and two assists.
Mar. 18/23 in MH: Hitmen 2 Tigers 0…Brayden Peters made 23 saves for his seventh career shutout.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 167 MH 155 Power Plays: CGY 6-30 (20%) MH 2-27 (7.4%)
PLAYER STREAKS: Riley Fiddler-Schultz (2g, 4a) is on a three-game point streak. Matteo Danis (5g, 2a), Maxim Muranov (1g, 5a) and Ethan Moore (1g, 1a) all saw their two-game streaks end last night in Medicine Hat.
3-IN-3: This weekend’s trio of games is the fifth and final time this season the Hitmen face this scenario. So far Calgary has a combined record of 4-7-3-0 through the first 14 games of compressed play.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen are 4-2-1-0 in their last seven games…Oliver Tulk eclipsed 600 face-off wins last night in Medicine Hat…The 23 shots by the Tigers last night was the fewest allowed by the Hitmen in a game since they limited Edmonton to 14 back on Dec. 28…Calgary has outshot their opponent in 60.1% of games this season…Rookie forward Carson Wetsch returned to the Hitmen line-up Friday in Lethbridge after missing the previous 16 games with a lower body injury…Riley Fiddler-Schultz reached the 30-goal mark for the first time in his five-year WHL career Friday night in Lethbridge. He’s also the first Hitmen to score 30 in a season since Mark Kastelic (38) and Carson Focht (32) reached that plateau during the 2019-20 season…Hitmen freshmen Matteo Danis and London Hoilett are tied for 12th in WHL rookie goal scoring with 12 goals each.
WHL TOP-10: Riley Fiddler-Schultz leads the WHL in faceoff wins with 823, one more than Jett Jones of the Lethbridge Hurricanes …Carter Yakemchuk is tied for fourth in goals by a defenceman with 17 while his 14 power play tallies lead all blueliners. Brayden Peters is in a three-way tie for the league’s 10th best save percentage at .908.
PLAYOFF PUSH: Counting today, the Hitmen have four games remaining in the regular season with two at home and two on the road. Their opponent breakdown is as follows; MH, LET, (EDM 2X’s).
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Billal Noori (upper body, week-to-week), Jacob Wright (lower body, day-to-day).
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Hitmen penalty kill is second in the WHL at 83.5%. On the flip side the power play is 18th at 18.8%.
REGULAR SEASON CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Grayden Siepmann and Tyson Galloway are both one assist shy of 50. Ethan Buenaventura is 44 minutes away from 3,000.
AUTOGRAPH STATION: Hitmen forwards Sean Tschigerl and Carson Wetsch will be signing post-game autographs at the Booster Club Table located on the concourse behind section 211.
UP FOR BID: The game worn and game issued jerseys from last Saturday’s ‘Bret ‘The Hitmen’ Hart game presented by Vallen are live at elevateauctions.com/BretHart. Bidding closes for all 25 jerseys on Monday, Mar. 20 at 8:00 p.m. This year’s sweater is the third instalment in the series of jerseys inspired by Bret Hart. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Calgary Prostate Cancer Centre.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen are on the road for their next two games heading to Lethbridge to face the Hurricanes on Wednesday, Mar. 22 before visiting Edmonton on Saturday, Mar 25 at Rogers Place. Calgary will then complete their 68-game regular season schedule at home on Sunday, Mar. 26 in a 1:00 p.m. start on Fan Appreciation Day at Scotiabank Saddledome.
