PUCK DROPS ON ROUND 2
HURRICANES AND TIGERS RESUME RIVALRY LAST NIGHT
Game 2 tonight in Medicine Hat before series heads to Lethbridge Tuesday
The Medicine Hat Tigers have pounced to an early series lead over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Hosting the Canes during Game 1 of the teams’ Western Hockey League Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Tiger downed Lethbridge 4-0 Friday night at the Canalta Centre in Medicine Hat.
The Tigers scored late in the first period and then added early- and late-period goals in the second for a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes and put up one more in the third as Tigers goaltender Michael Bullion stopped all 16 shots he faced to post the shutout.
Game 2 returns to the Canalta Centre tonight at 7:30 p.m.
“I think, to be totally honest, it’s very frustrating,” said Hurricanes captain Tyler Wong. “I thought we were going to come out better. I thought we were going to come out and take it to them. I thought they were going to be a little bit rusty and take us for granted. On short rest, I thought we would be clicking.
“We took a day off and were able to rest our legs and we should have had more energy. Guys just didn’t have it tonight. I think a lot of our guys didn’t have their best games, we were sleeping a little bit out there and against a team like this, that’s unacceptable and it’s not going to work. We’re not going to beat a team like that if we only have a couple of guys going.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead late in the first on a goal from John Dahlstrom. They added to their lead early in the second when Chad Butcher slammed home a feed from Zach Fischer past Canes goaltender Stuart Skinner for a 2-0 lead.
Tanner Nagel had a chance with a little over 4:30 in the second, breaking in off the right wing on Bullion, but was unable to get a handle on a backhand attempt.
Medicine Hat added to their lead with 2:35 left in the second when Steven Owre’s shot from the top of the left found its way through traffic and past Skinner for a 3-0 lead and Fischer rounded out the scoring in the third.