TIGERS BATTLE PATS
It would be the fourth and final meeting between the Regina Pats and the Medicine Hat Tigers this season. The Pats hold the edge in the season series 3-0 heading into the night. Garin Bjorklund got the start for the Tigers, his 42nd appearance of the season. Regina would counter with Drew Sim who is 5-11-1-1 with a 4.23 GAA and a 0.865 SV%.
The Tigers would start the game out with good pace and kill off an early Ashton Ferster high sticking penalty. Tigers defenceman Pasha Bocharov gives the home team the lead at the 7:06 mark of the period after ripping a Teague Patton one-timer over the shoulder of Regina’s Drew Sim to make it 1-0.
Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund would be called on to make a handful of big saves in the period and the Washington Capitals prospect delivered, keeping Connor Bedard and the Pats offence at bay through the opening 20 minutes. Shots on goal in the first period 11-8, Regina.
The Tigers jumped to a 2-0 lead 7:17 into the middle period when Brendan Lee made no mistake with the nice Logan Barlage set-up, beating Sim upstairs for his ninth of the season. Tyler MacKenzie had the secondary assist on the powerplay marker.
Regina would clap back only moments later though, when Cole Dubinsky’s shot somehow got through traffic and passed Bjorklund to make it 2-1.
Connor Bedard would then shift things into high gear when the 16-year-old from North Vancouver, BC buried the backhand shot after a nice move and a great set-up from Tye Spencer. Tie Game.
Bedard managed to get in alone on Bjorklund, but was hung-up by Rhett Parsons, drawing a delayed penalty against the Tigers. Somehow Bedard maintained possession and found a trailing Tanner Howe to make 3-2 Pats.
Stanislav Svozil would be the recipient of the next Connor Bedard pass making it 4-2 Pats after a nice saucer pass from Bedard on the tape of the Svozil leaving Bjorklund chance and staking the Pats to a 4-2 lead.
Swan River, MB native Steven Arp would bring the Tigers to within one after redirecting the Josh Van Mulligen point shot. Dru Krebs was credited with the secondary assist. That gives Krebs points in three of his last four games.
With Garin Bjorklund sitting on the bench and the seconds ticking off the clock, the Tigers Brendan Lee was able to get his 2nd of the night, tying the game with 4.9 seconds to go in the third period. Oren Shtrom and Dru Krebs were credited with the assists.
Overtime would solve nothing, so it was off the to the shootout. After Reid Andresen and Connor Bedard both missed, Andrew Basha was able tuck the puck passed Sim. Stanislav Svozil was next for Regina and he too would come up short. Logan Barlage would have the chance to put the game on ice for the Tigers and the veteran would make no mistake as he went five-hole on the Pats netminder sending the Tigers faithful into a frenzy.
Medicine Hat’s next action comes on Friday when the team travels to Swift Current for the first half of a home and home series with the Broncos.
