Tigers held edge in season series
Whether it was one-goal losses, shutouts, shootouts or just plain blowouts, the sevengame series between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers offered up a little bit of everything over the course of the Western Hockey League regular season series.
After that regular season clash between the two Central Division rivals that saw the Tigers win the series by a slight 4-3 margin, the crucial series kicks off tonight with Game 1 of the teams’ best-of-seven, second-round WHL playoff series at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
Still, what a seven-game, regular season warmup it was between the Tigers and Canes that featured some close games, shutouts and some out-and-out scoresheet slug fests.
With the Hurricanes and Tigers slated to play each other at least four more times starting with Games 1 and 2 in Medicine Hat tonight and Saturday and Games 3 and 4 Tuesday and Wednesday in Lethbridge at the Enmax Centre, here’s how the regular season matchups shook down for both sides.
September 23 at Lethbridge Hurricanes 4, Tigers 2
In both teams’ seasonopener, the Canes scored twice in the first and added one each in the second and third period to post the win as Lethbridge got goals from Calen Addison, Ryley Lindgren, Brady Reagan and Jordy Bellerive.
September 24 at Medicine Hat
Tigers 9, Hurricanes 3
The Tigers handed the Hurricanes some payback in spades on the back half of the home-and-home series as Medicine Hat erupted for five goals in the second period and three more in the third as Chad Butcher had a six-point outing with a goal and five assists.
Zach Fischer had a hat trick for the Tigers and Clayton Kirichenko added three helpers. Mark Rassell scored twice and added an assist.
December 9 in Lethbridge Hurricanes 3, Tigers 2
Hurricanes assistant captain Giorgio Estephan scored the game-winner with 5:04 left in regulation time to hand Lethbridge the one-goal win.
Canes goaltender Stuart Skinner stopped 37 shots in the winning cause.
December 30, Medicine Hat Hurricanes 9, Tigers 7
The teams offered up some early New Years fireworks as the Hurricanes opened up a 63 lead after the second period.
The Tigers came clawing back with four tallies in the third, but Lethbridged added three more to seal the wild win.
Canes captain Tyler Wong led the hit parade with two goals and three assists, while Estephan added two goals and two assists.
Matt Bradley had a stats night of his own for Medicine Hat with two goals and five points, while Mason Shaw had two goals and two assists.
John Dahlstrom added three assists for the Tigers.
February 11, Medicine Hat Tigers 5, Hurricanes 0
In the only shutout decision between the two teams, Michael Bullion kicked aside all 19 shots he faced to post the win.
Fischer had a goal and two assists.
March 17, Lethbridge Tigers 5, Hurricanes 1
With a crowd of over 5,200 looking on in hopes of seeing Wong net his 50th goal of the season in the Canes final home game of the regular season, the Tigers spoiled the party.
James Hamblin scored twice for the Tigers and Kirichenko chipped in with three assists.
Ryan Bowen had the sole Lethbridge tally.
March 18, Medicine Hat Tigers 8, Hurricanes 7
Down to the final game of the regular season, Wong became the first Hurricane to hit the 50-goal plateau since 1998, scoring 4:54 into the game and then adding his 51st late in the second.
But that offensive output wasn’t quite enough to earn the Canes the season series as Medicine Hat’s David Quenneville scored with 7:32 remaining to cap off another shootout.
Wong finished the night with two goals and two assists and Estephan had three helpers.
Egor Babenko had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes in the loss.
Tigers assistant captain Steven Owre had a four-point night with a goal and three assist and Hamblin scored twice and added an assist.
Butcher added three assists.