CANES TRY to pull even
Estephan scores three as Canes tie series 1-1
Hurricanes, Tigers tangled in Game 2 of their WHL Eastern Conference semifinal series last night in Medicine Hat —
With another heroic performance from their assistant captain, the Lethbridge Hurricanes are coming home with a split.
The Canes defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 7-4 in Game 2 of the teams’ Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal series Saturday night at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
After getting shut out on a minimal 16 shots in Game 1, the Hurricanes rallied from three deficits — including a 2-0 Tigers lead before the game was three minutes old — as assistant captain Giorgio Estephan netted a hat trick, including the game-winner, to knot the series at 1-1. Games 3 and 4 shift back to the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge on Tuesday and Wednesday.
As the veterans chipped in for the Canes, so did the youth as last year’s first-round draft pick, Dylan Cozens struck for his first career WHL playoff goal to tie the game at 4-4 in the second period.
“We knew we had to come back strong and we didn’t put in the performance we needed to in the first game,” said Estephan. “We definitely came out strong and physical. We were determined and came out victorious.”
The game was 2-0 Tigers less than three minutes in as Tigers’ Zach Fischer scored twice before Estephan and Alec Baer pulled the Canes even 27 seconds apart to make it 2-2.