Tigers Fall To Blades, 5-3
The Medicine Hat Tigers and Saskatoon Blades opened their first matchup of the season with a bit of a feel-out process. Both teams tested the waters early, creating some chances but nothing too dangerous. The game quickly shifted into a battle of momentum, with special teams and standout goaltending taking center stage in a hard-fought contest.
Seven minutes in, the Tigers went on the power play after Blades forward Lukas Hansen was penalized for goaltender interference on Harrison Meneghin. Medicine Hat wasted no time, converting on the man advantage. Gavin McKenna fired a shot on net that Ryder Ritchie redirected back in front, setting up Liam Ruck to bury the puck into an open net for the game’s opening goal and a 1-0 Tigers lead.
The Blades responded quickly, evening the score just over a minute later. Zach Olson’s shot created a rebound, tipped by Jordan Martin across the crease, where David Lewandowski tucked it past a sprawling Meneghin to make it 1-1.
The Tigers found themselves shorthanded late in the period after Hunter St. Martin was called for slashing. Saskatoon capitalized on the opportunity, as Rowan Calvert banked a sharp-angle shot off the post and in to give the Blades a 2-1 lead. The assists went to Cooper Williams and Grayden Siepmann.
The Tigers regained momentum before the intermission, drawing a penalty with just over a minute left as Oasiz Weisblatt was taken down behind the play. Just 18 seconds into the power play, Bryce Pickford stepped into a shot from the blue line, sniping the top corner past Blades goaltender Evan Gardner. The goal marked Pickford’s league-leading tally among WHL defensemen, with McKenna and Weisblatt assisting the play to close the period tied at 2-2.
The Tigers wasted no time regaining their lead early in the second period. Just over three minutes in, Oasiz Weisblatt set up Gavin McKenna with a perfect drop pass, and McKenna fired a shot past Gardner’s blocker to put Medicine Hat back on top, 3-2.
The Blades responded midway through the period, capitalizing on a turnover deep in the Tigers’ zone. Tyler Parr collected the puck and sent it blocker-side past Meneghin to tie the game at 3-3.
Saskatoon kept the pressure on, earning a power play after Veeti Viasanen was called for hooking. The Blades’ special teams delivered quickly, as Brandon Lisowsky found the back of the net to give Saskatoon their first lead, 4-3.
The remainder of the period was marked by back-and-forth action, with both teams creating quality scoring opportunities. Saskatoon pushed hard late, but Meneghin stood tall, ensuring the Tigers entered the final frame trailing by just one.
The final period began with a high-intensity defensive battle, as the Tigers and Blades focused on shutting down each other’s top lines and minimizing turnovers. Neither team gave much ground in the opening 10 minutes.
Medicine Hat began to apply consistent pressure midway through the period, generating several quality chances, but Blades netminder Evan Gardner held firm to keep it 4-3.
With just over four minutes remaining, Gavin McKenna was called for hooking, sending the Tigers to the penalty kill. The Tigers’ PK unit was effective, quickly neutralizing Saskatoon’s advantage.
Moments after returning to full strength, McKenna found Oasiz Weisblatt open at the side of the net, but Gardner came up with a jaw-dropping save to preserve the Blades’ lead.
In the final moments, with the Tigers’ net empty and an offensive zone faceoff, Saskatoon gained possession, as Blades forward Misha Volotovskii capitalized with a shot from center ice into the open net, sealing a 5-3 victory for Saskatoon.
Special Teams:
- PP: 2/2 – 100%
- PK: 1/3 – 33.3%
Stringam Law Three Stars:
- Tyler Parr – Saskatoon
- Gavin McKenna – Medicine Hat
- Brandon Lisowsky – Saskatoon
Supplement King Hardest Working Player: Marcus Ruck
The Tigers are back in action Wednesday night as they travel to Prince Albert to take on the Prince Albert Raiders. Game time is 6:00PM (MST) You can listen live on Wild 94.5 FM or watch on watch.chl.ca.
