LANGKOW SHUTS OUT BRONCOS TO CLOSE PRE-SEASON
The Medicine Hat Tigers concluded the WHL Pre-Season with a 3-0 shutout over the Swift Current Broncos Saturday night at Co-op Place.
The 1st period saw plenty of opportunities to seize control for the home side including a breakaway opportunity for Cayden Lindstrom (Fort St. John, BC) but on 14 shots Swift Current’s Joey Rocha was up to the task and kept the Tigers at bay keeping things scoreless through one. As the Tigers outshot the Broncos 14-6.
Off to the second period as the Tigers were finally able to solve Rocha as Josh Van Mulligan (Medicine Hat, AB) gave his hometown team a 1-0 lead on a shot from the point at 2:02 after Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT) was able to find him for his 4th point of the pre-season. The Broncos tried to make things even on a breakaway from Maddix McCagherty was denied by starting goaltender Beckett Langkow (Fort Saskatchewan, AB) nearly eight minutes into the second. Swift Current would make things interesting with plenty of power play chances but Langkow and the Tigers penalty kill kept the Broncos off the scoresheet for a second consecutive period.
In the final 20 minutes of the pre-season the Tigers would string together two straight power play opportunities just past the five minute marker and as the second power play came to a close along with a delayed third penalty coming. Shane Smith (Cessford, AB) would get his first of the pre-season to double the Orange & Black’s lead to 2-0. Swift Current’s Matthew Ward would have a chance to finally solve Langkow on a breakaway chance with just 3:41 left in regulation but once again the Tigers netminder would turn the Broncos captain aside. Broncos would pull Rocha with just over two minutes left but it was Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) putting the final touches on the pre-season adding his pre-season goal total to a pair.
The Tigers penalty kill ran another perfect game of killing off all six Bronco opportunities while the power play was unable to score for the second straight game going 0/5.
The Tigers conclude their pre-season with a record of 3-1 and now turn their attention to the WHL Season Opener when the Lethbridge Hurricanes head to Co-op Place on Saturday, September 24. Puck-drop is set for 7 PM.