Late Rally Falls Short: Tigers Come Up Just Shy in Lethbridge

Category: ArticleDecember 6, 2024

On Friday night, the Lethbridge Hurricanes hosted their teddy bear toss game, while the Medicine Hat Tigers readied themselves to follow suit on Saturday. Regardless of the setting, the Tigers brought early intensity in their rival’s barn, immediately putting the Hurricanes on their heels.

In the opening minutes, Hunter St. Martin forced a turnover deep in the Lethbridge end, feeding Oasiz Weisblatt in the slot. Weisblatt wasted no time, ripping a quick shot over Jackson Unger’s shoulder to open the scoring. 1-0 Medicine Hat.

The Hurricanes struggled to get anything going offensively, registering their first shot well past the halfway mark of the period with the Tigers’ defence doing a great job of stifling Lethbridge.

Late in the frame, Ryder Ritchie drew an interference penalty, sending the Tigers to the power play. With 34 seconds left on the initial penalty, another Hurricanes infraction set up a brief 5-on-3. As the first penalty expired, St. Martin attempted a pass from beside the net that deflected off a defender and past Unger, making it 2-0 for Medicine Hat.

The momentum swung sharply in the second period, as the Hurricanes rattled off three unanswered goals. Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer opened the frame with two heroic saves, but soon after, Lethbridge broke through. On a 3-on-2 rush, Brayden Yager set up Leo Braillard, who buried the puck to become the 2024 Teddy Bear Toss scorer for the Hurricanes. After the ensuing cleanup, the Hurricanes carried renewed energy.

With about 13 minutes left, Oasiz Weisblatt was called for elbowing after a collision, giving Lethbridge its first power play. The Hurricanes wasted no time, as Noah Chadwick ripped a shot over Switzer’s blocker off another crisp pass from Yager, tying the game 2-2.

Seconds later, a 2-on-1 opportunity ended with Tristen Doyle finding Logan Wormald, who beat Switzer to put the Hurricanes in front 3-2.

The Tigers earned a power play chance shortly after, but couldn’t convert. Near the midpoint of the period, Veeti Vaisanen took a slashing penalty while defending the front of the Tigers’ net, testing Medicine Hat’s penalty kill once again. This time, the Tigers held firm, even generating some shorthanded pressure of their own.

In the final minute of the period, Ryder Ritchie caught a Lethbridge player with a high stick, sending the Tigers back to the penalty kill. Medicine Hat ended the second period trailing by one and still down a man, setting up a critical third period in Lethbridge.

The Tigers faced a steep hill in the third period as the Hurricanes added to their lead early. Just four minutes in, Leo Braillard, who scored Lethbridge’s Teddy Bear Toss goal, struck again with a crafty move around Switzer, putting the Canes up 4-2.

Around the midpoint of the period, Medicine Hat saw a potential momentum swing when Trae Johnson was called for hooking on Ryder Ritchie. Halfway through that power play, Oasiz Weisblatt and Miguel Marques picked up offsetting penalties, the manpower remained 5-on-4 for the Tigers, but still couldn’t capitalize.

With just over six minutes left, the Tigers handed Lethbridge another power play. Noah Chadwick let one fly from the point, and Brayden Edwards tipped it past Switzer. Initially, it looked like the Hurricanes had iced the game, but the goal was waved off. Medicine Hat’s penalty killers held strong for the remaining time, keeping their hopes alive.

The Tigers pulled Switzer for the extra attacker with two and a half minutes left. They managed to claw one back with just under 5 seconds on the clock, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Medicine Hat even generated a last-second chance off the ensuing faceoff, but time expired before they could find the equalizer.

Lethbridge held on for the 4-3 win in a game that saw the Tigers fight hard until the final buzzer.

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