TIGERS DROP 6-3 DECISION TO WINTERHAWKS
Medicine Hat, AB – Despite a one goal lead heading to the third period. The Medicine Hat Tigers dropped a 6-3 decision to the Portland Winterhawks Wednesday night.
The first period saw plenty of action from both sides as starting goaltenders Evan May (Nanaimo, BC) & Jan Spunar would be busy until the Tigers found the back of the net at 5:37. Captain Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) would re-direct a Reid Andresen point shot that would bounce off the post, off Spunar’s skate and in to make it 1-0 Tigers. Portland would respond on a turnover in the Tigers zone as 03′ born Gabe Klassen would wrist home his 8th of the season putting things all square at 1-1.
Medicine Hat would have the last response of the period as on the power play, Hunter St.Martin (Edmonton, AB) would tip home his 4th of the season from Dru Krebs (Okotoks, AB) & Shane Smith (Cessford, AB) at exactly eight minutes left in the opening period.
The second period would start on the right foot for the Tigers as Kadon McCann (Cochrane, AB) would be open at the side of the Winterhawk net at 3:26. Reid Andresen (Saskatoon, SK) makes the perfect pass over for McCann’s mark in the second.
Portland would respond late on the power play as Josh Davies would tip his 6th of the season at 15:36 to keep things tight heading to the 3rd.
In the third Portland would tie it as Jack O’Brien would sneak his 4th of the season past Evan May to make it 3-3 at 2:55. Followed immediately by Josh Davies banking a shot off a skate 54 seconds to give the Winterhawks their first lead of the game. Then penalties would hit the Tigers as Diego Buttazzoni would bury two different power play marks at 8:44 & 9:28 on route to the 6-3 win.
Despite loss the Tigers drop their record to 9-5-1 but still keep the top spot in the Central Division heading into Friday’s game at home to Lethbridge.
Medicine Hat will look to get back in the win column Friday against the Hurricanes. Get your tickets HERE.
Photo: Randy Feere