TIGERS SPLIT SASKATCHEWAN ROAD TRIP WITH WIN OVER RAIDERS
Prince Albert, SK – Shane Smith (Cessford, AB) would score the eventual game winner Wednesday night as the Medicine Hat Tigers would finally get a victory over the Prince Albert Raiders for the final time in the 2022-23 WHL Season.
The first period started off in perfect fashion as Tomas Mrsic (Surrey, BC) would make it 1-0 Tigers just 5:02 into the game on a shot that fooled Raiders starter Tikhon Chaika for his 5th of the season, Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) & Dru Krebs (Okotoks, AB) would add assists on the Mrsic goal. Just 27 seconds Dallon Melin (Czar, AB) would win a battle below the red line in the Raiders zone and threw a shot towards Chaika and somehow snuck past Chaika to make it 2-0 Medicine Hat. Kurtis Smythe (Cloverdale, BC) would get the lone assist on the Melin goal.
Prince Albert wouldn’t lie down though in the 1st as Cole Peardon banged home an eventual Beckett Langkow (Vegreville, AB) rebound to notch his 3rd of the season to cut the Tiger lead to 2-1 heading to the 2nd period.
The second period would see no scoring despite both teams getting opportunities on special teams but Chaika and Langkow would run a clean period for the Tigers and Raiders.
Off to the third period with the Tigers keeping a 2-1 lead, it would until there was 4:31 left in third and Shane Smith would score from the left circle beating Chaika high glove on the far side to make it 3-1 Tigers. Prince Albert would push for the equalizer and with the empty net and Sloan Stanick would score his 5th goal against the Tigers in the season series and 10th overall to cut the lead to 3-2 Medicine Hat. But the Tigers would lock things down and it would be the 12th win of the season for Medicine Hat over Prince Albert 3-2.
The Raiders would end up outshooting the Tigers 27-24 and both teams were unsuccessful on the power play going 0/3.
Medicine Hat improves their record to 12-16-4-1 while Prince Albert drops to 10-19-2 and with the win going into action this weekend, the Tigers are in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Next up for the Tigers, is a pair of home games Friday and Saturday before the Christmas Break as the Red Deer Rebels and the Kelowna Rockets. Get your tickets now at tixx.ca Puck drop for both nights is 7 PM