Tigers double Canes 4-2
Canes lock up home-ice advantage for playoffs with Rebels loss
They’ll start in different series, but the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers offered up a playoff preview Friday night.
Playing in their final home game of the regular season in front of a packed crowd of 5,203 at the Enmax Centre, the Hurricanes were doubled 4-2 by the Tigers in Western Hockey League play.
The setback ups the Hurricanes losing streak to eight games, but a little bit of good news came from out of town Friday night.
The Kootenay Ice defeated the Red Deer Rebels 6-2 in Red Deer, locking up second place in place in the Central Division and home-ice advantage in the first round for the Canes, who will host the Rebels in Games 1 and 2 starting next Friday.
But before the post season begins, the Hurricanes and Tigers treated Friday night’s game as a glimpse for what’s to come as Ryan Chyzowski broke a 2-2 tie with 2:37 left in regulation for the game-winner.
“I thought it was a very competitive game,” said Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston, whose team had already locked up first in the Central Division and is now 37-27-8-0. “I was proud of our guys because it didn’t really change anything in the standings, but there’s a great rivalry here and the building was full. It was very entertaining game. I thought our guys competed.”
That leaves the Hurricanes one more chance to end the slide as the second half of the home-and-home season regular season closer for both teams takes place tonight in Medicine Hat.
“It’s just the little things right now,” said Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio, whose team is 32-33-6-0 following Friday’s loss. “We’re really close to breaking out of this. But again, the little things cost us. Late in the game, we find a way to tie it up and just a little breakdown again and it’s a goal against.”
Calen Addison gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with his 11th of the season 4:26 into the second, but Medicine Hat’s Josh Williams scored eight minutes later to knot things up at 1-1 after 40 minutes.
It only took the Tigers 16 seconds into the third to take a 2-1 lead as Bryan Lockner tapped a close-in feed from James Hamblin past Hurricanes goaltender Logan Flodell, but the Hurricanes answered with the equalizer midway through the third on captain Jordy Bellerive’s 45th of the season.
But late in the game Chyzowski as able to get to the net and poke a pass from Tyler Preziuso home for the game-winner before Preziuso added the empty-netter.
Flodell stopped 35 of 37 shots, while Tigers goaltender Michael Bullion made 28 saves.
With their spots in the post season secured, the Canes and Tigers wind up the regular season tonight in Medicine Hat.
“We’ll probably go with mostly our normal lineup,” said Kisio. “We have to get things back on track so it’s really important that we play hard in that last game and do things right.”
The Hurricanes were still without defenceman Tate Olson, who is sidelined with an injury, but skated in practice Thursday afternoon.
“He’s skating, so he’s getting closer and closer,” said Kisio. “We’re hoping he’ll be ready for the start (of playoffs).”
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