RECAP: Hitmen Secure 33rd Home Win in 3-2 Overtime Victory
The Calgary Hitmen continue to dominate at home, securing their 33rd win at the Scotiabank Saddledome with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
It took just 35 seconds for Calgary to open the scoring, with Oliver Tulk putting one past Jackson Unger unassisted. Luke Cozens would add one for Lethbridge in the final two minutes of the first period to even the score. Calgary had a dominant start outshooting Lethbridge 20-5 in the frame.
The next goal didn’t come until late in the second period, when Ethan Moore finished a pass from Chase Valliant on a two-on-one, making it 2-1. Lethbridge had a goal disallowed in the third, but Brayden Yager quickly followed the call up with a goal of his own to tie the game with 6:04 remaining, sending it to overtime.
Sawyer Mynio almost ended it for Calgary for the second game in a row, but instead drew a penalty, sending the Hitmen to the power play. Oliver Tulk sealed the victory with a one-time goal off a feed from Carter Yakemchuk, just under two minutes into overtime. Calgary outshot Lethbridge 40-18.
With his two-goal performance, Tulk earned first star honors, extending his point streak to 11 games. Calgary’s home record improves to a league-leading 21-4-1-1. The Hitmen now sit just one point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers for first place in the Eastern Conference, with three games in hand.
Calgary will depart Thursday for a compact road trip that will see the club play six games in nine nights as part of an East Division tour. It all begins on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14 in Saskatoon. The swing will also take the Hitmen to Prince Albert (Feb. 15), Swift Current (Feb. 17), Regina (Feb. 19), Brandon (Feb. 21) and Moose Jaw (Feb. 22).
