GAME 49: VS. EDMONTON
VS. OIL KINGS: Tonight’s game is the third meeting of six this season and first game at the Canalta Centre this season. The next three matchups will be in Medicine Hat before finishing the season series at Rogers Place on March 11th. Medicine Hat is coming off a big blowout victory over the Kootenay Ice and will look to become the Eastern Conference’s first team to 33 victories this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
JANUARY 27th, 2017
2016-17 WHL RANKINGS:
OVERALL: (32-15-1-0)
HOME: 15-7-1-0
AWAY: 17-8-0-0
Central Division: 1st
Eastern Conference: 2nd
INJURY UPDATES:
SCHULTZ – Lower Body
QUENNEVILLE – Lower Body
Man Games Lost to Injury: 24
16-17 SEASON SERIES VS. OIL KINGS
OVERALL: 2-0-0-0
HOME: 0-0-0-0
AWAY: 2-0-0-0
LAST 5 SEASONS: 13-8-0-0
LAST WIN: Jan. 8, 2017 – 5-2
2016-17 CLUB LEADERS:
GOALS: MAX GERLACH (27)
ASSISTS: MASON SHAW (51)
POINTS: CHAD BUTCHER (70)
PIM: ZACH FISCHER (110)
PLUS MINUS: CLAYTON KIRICHENKO (+30)
WINS: NICK SCHNEIDER (26)
16-17 CLUB COMPARISON:
| TIGERS | OIL KINGS | |
| PP HOME | 25.7% | 15.7% |
| PP AWAY | 29.3% | 19.6% |
| PP OVERALL | 27.6% (2ND) | 17.8% (15TH) |
| PK HOME | 81.0% | 79.5% |
| PK AWAY | 82.0% | 79.0% |
| PK OVERALL | 81.6% (5TH) | 79.3% (11TH) |
| AT HOME | 15-7-1-0 | 9-15-1-1 |
| ON ROAD | 17-8-0-0 | 9-10-2-0 |
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP:
- Medicine Hat heads into tonight 5-5-0-0 in their past 10 games and have won 6 of their last 7 games against Central Division opponents
- Overall this season the Tigers are 15-4-0-0 against their divisional rivals
- Edmonton has dropped 8 straight games heading into tonight with their last win coming on January 1st Calgary, their only victory in their past 10 games (1-9-0-0)
- Since trading Aaron Irving and Lane Bauer before the trade deadline Edmonton sports a 0-8-0-0 record and have allowed 5 or more goals in 6 of those losses
- Captain Clayton Kirichenko is currently riding a 3 game points streak and has 9 points in his past 5 games. Kirichenko currently sits 5th in WHL defenseman scoring with 43 points in 48 games. He also leads the WHL in assists with 37
TIGERS FAST FACTS:
- Matt Bradley extended his point streak to 7 games on Tuesday night against Kootenay, in those games Bradley has 7 points (2G, 5A)
- Mason Shaw also extended his point streak to 8 games Tuesday, he has 9 points during that span (3G, 6A)
- Chad Butcher was held off the scoresheet for a second consecutive game, only 1 other time this year has it happened. In the game following those Butcher recorded 3 points. Butcher has 5 points in 2 games this season against the Oil Kings
DID YOU KNOW?: Medicine Hat currently has 6 skaters with 20 or more goals, Matt Bradley is 1 goal away to make it 7 skaters. The last season the Tigers have had 6 or more 20 goal scorers is 2003-04 (St. Jacques, Reid, MacArthur, Meyer, Barker, Regier, Hollweg).
GOAL SCORING: Medicine Hat has already eclipsed their season total for goals scored from last year. The Tigers scored 223 goals in 2015-16 and currently have 232. They hit the 200 goals scored mark against Edmonton on January 8th.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: Flashback to the 2011-12 season as the Tigers took on the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The game was close after the opening period as Medicine Hat took a 3-2 lead with goals from Emerson Etem and 2 from Curtis Valk. After the first period, Medicine Hat scored 5 unanswered goals. Both Etem and Valk recorded hat tricks in the 8-2 victory for Medicine Hat. Boston Leier and James Bettauer also scored. Tyler Bunz stopped 23 of 25 shots for the Tigers 30th win on the season.
WHO TO WATCH: Tigers – Clayton Kirichenko: The Captain has been steadily climbing the WHL defenseman points standings, currently 5th in the league with 43 and 1st in assists with 37. Oil Kings– David Koch: The leading scorer for Edmonton this season has 49 points in 47 games, which has doubled his career best from last year
NHL DRAFTED / SIGNED PLAYERS: Matt Bradley (Montreal Canadiens), Nick Schneider (Calgary Flames), John Dahlstrom (Chicago Blackhawks), David Quenneville (New York Islanders)
| LAST FIVE REGULAR SEASON | RESULTS: | NEXT FIVE: | TIME: |
| Jan 13 VS. Swift Current Broncos | 7-3 WIN | VS. Edmonton Oil Kings Friday January 27 | 7:30 PM (MT) |
| Jan 18 @ Saskatoon Blades | 5-3 LOSS | VS. Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday January 28 | 7:30 PM (MT) |
| Jan 20 @ Regina Pats | 8-5 WIN | VS. Kootenay Ice Tuesday January 31 | 7:00 PM (MT) |
| Jan 21 @ Brandon Wheat Kings | 5-2 LOSS | @ Kootenay Ice Wednesday February 1 | 7:00 PM (MT) |
| Jan 24 @ Kootenay Ice | 8-1 WIN | @ Spokane Chiefs Friday February 3 | 8:05 PM (MT) |
