Tigers have third period to forget in Lethbridge

One day after the Medicine Hat Tigers rallied to erase a two-goal deficit and steal a victory from the hands of the Hurricanes, Lethbridge returned the favour.

While the Tigers managed to dig out of an early hole and carry a one-goal lead into the third on Saturday at the Enmax Centre, the Hurricanes responded with six unanswered goals to run away with an 8-3 victory and split the weekend’s home-and-home set in emphatic fashion.

Medicine Hat controlled the early momentum, but after coming up empty on back-toback power plays, the Tigers put themselves on the kill with Linus Nassen in the box for roughing and Ty Kolle cashed in with eight seconds left on the advantage to give Lethbridge an early lead.

Nolan Jones doubled up late in the first period when he threw a long shot on net and watched it travel through traffic and over the shoulder of Tigers goaltender Jordan Hollett for the first goal of his Western Hockey League career.

It was a familiar situation to Friday’s matchup — when Medicine Hat fell into a 2-0 hole through 20 minutes before coming back to steal away a 43 overtime victory — and in similar fashion Ryan Jevne jumped into action.

The 20-year-old Edmonton product marched into the offensive zone on an odd-man rush and beat Hurricanes goaltender Reece Klassen on the stick side to cut the lead in half less than a minute into the middle frame.

Medicine Hat’s momentum continued to roll and Elijah Brown converted it into an equalizer by deflecting a shot from James Hamblin past Klassen three minutes later, then Tyler Preziuso took over the lead on a bouncing shot in the dying minutes of the period.

But the Hurricanes stormed back to steal control of the action with a slew of goals early in the third.

Dylan Cozens knotted the game up just past the oneminute mark of the frame when he cut down the right wing and beat Hollett under the blocker, then Zachary Cox took over the lead by deking around Eric Van Impe and chipping the puck through Hollett two minutes later. It didn’t stop there.

Jadon Joseph tacked on when he deflected a point shot from Igor Merezhko through Hollett with Cole Clayton in the box for roughing, then Logan Barlage followed it up by ripping a onetimer from Kolle into the net 65 seconds later — flipping a onegoal deficit into a three-goal cushion in less than seven minutes.

Cozens added another three minutes later to signal the end of Hollett’s evening after allowing seven goals on 31 shots, then Taylor Ross put the game away with a power play goal in the dying minutes of regulation.

Klassen stopped 39 to lock up the victory and push Lethbridge to 5-4-1-2 on the season. Mads Søgaard stopped six in relief of Hollett. Medicine Hat fell to 6-6-0-1 with the loss.

Preziuso, Jevne and Ryan Chyzowski all extended their point streaks to four games in the setback. Preziuso has eight points in the span, Jevne has seven and Chyzowski has five.

The Tigers return to the Canalta Centre Wednesday to host the Red Deer Rebels at 7 p.m.