MEDICINE HAT - Two goals in the first period and relentless pressure for the rest of the night powered the Medicine Hat Tigers to a 4-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Saturday night.
Unlike the previous night, the Medicine Hat Tigers would open this scoring this game. Just over five minutes into the first period, Curtis Valk picked up the puck, burst down the left wing and wired a wrist shot by Teagan Sacher to make it 1-0 Medicine Hat. A few minutes later Sacher got hit when he tried to cover the puck and Tigers forward Blake Penner ran into him, knocking Sacher to the ice. Penner was assessed a 5 minute major for charging on the play. Sacher was helped off the ice and didn't return. Corbin Boes came in to play the rest of the game for the Hurricanes. The Canes were unable to score on the major power play, but they ended up with a short 5-on-3 man advantage and just as that expired Brady Ramsay buried his 9th of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Late in the period, the Tigers would get that goal back when Chad Labelle scored to make it 2-1 Medicine Hat after 20 minutes of play. The shots favoured the Tigers 18-9.
In the second, the Tigers would extend their lead with a power play goal. Kyle Stanton's point shot was stopped by Boes, but Logan McVeigh was right there to cash in the rebound to make it 3-1 Tigers. Medicine Hat kept on pressing to add to their lead, but Corbin Boes was solid between the pipes, keeping his team in the game. The Canes were unable to score in the period and the Tigers would take a two goal lead into the dressing room through two periods of play. The Hurricanes couldn't generate much in the period, only two shots on goal. Medicine Hat held a big 36-11 shot advantage through 40 minutes of play.
In the third, the Tigers would add to their lead. Kyle Becker blasted a point shot which beat Corbin Boes. That gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead. The Canes though would get one of those goals back when Russ Maxwell tipped in a shot for his 9th goal of the season to the Hurricanes to within a pair. That's as close as they would get in this game as the Tigers would skate away with a 4-2 victory. The Hurricanes went 1/3 on the power play and the Tigers 1/7. Medicine Hat heavily out shot Lethbridge 49-23. In back-to-back games this weekend, the Tigers out shot Lethbridge 99-48. The loss ends the Canes modest two game win streak, dropping their record to 7-28-2-3 in 40 games this season.
Next Up
That's it for December and the 2013 portion of the Hurricanes schedule this season. The Canes will hit the road for three games in Saskatchewan to open 2014. The Canes next action is Wednesday (Jan. 1) when they play the Pats in Regina for an early afternoon start at 1:00 pm MST. The pre-game show on CJOC at 12:30. The Hurricanes then travel to Prince Albert Friday (Jan. 3) and then a stop in Saskatoon Saturday (Jan. 4). It'll be the Canes final games in both those cities this season. The Hurricanes have a busy January with 14 games in 31 days. 9 of those games are on the road. The next home game for Lethbridge is January 8th when they host the Kooteny ICE.
Thanks,
Pat
The views expressed on this blog are those of the moderator and contributors and are not endorsed by 94.1 CJOC or the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Watched the game on the computer last night. Did not think the Canes played all that well some bright spots though. Boes had a pretty good game and kept the Tigers within reach. The shots against not really a telling stat as a lot of the shots were from the outside and a goalie should stop them.
ReplyDeleteWould like to see our team take more shots and have players crash the net for rebounds. We are having troubles breaking away from strong fore checking.
No sense talking about the disallowed goal that decision right or wrong was made. Had a laugh when the MH play by play guy described the hit on Sacher as a bump. Quite the understatement with any luck the league will review the hit and a suspension will follow.
Hopefully Sacher and Derko are not gone for too long of a time as they are needed.
A View from Above
Brutal effort by a brutal team. 23 shots against a team with a fill in goaltender and half of those shots from outside the blue line. Only two guys on this team that showed anything and thats Erkamps and Duke, the rest would be average ajhl players. Wouldn't be paying to watch that load of crap on a nightly basis. That's a great defensive system the coaches have in place, chase, chase, chase, ice the puck and do it all over again. Feel sorry for the Lethbridge fans because I don't see things changing there anytime soon, actually all fans but Rantus. Keep sucking on that lemon bud.
ReplyDeleteAlan Caldwell tweeting that more players have bailed from the Cane train wreck, whats that all about?
ReplyDelete