Top prospects shine for Tigers in win over Rebels

Medicine Hat’s top prospects were at their best on Friday night at the Enmax Centrium.

In their first contest since being named to the SherwinWilliams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, Medicine Hat Tigers winger Josh Williams scored twice and added two assists and goaltender Mads Søgaard stopped 49 to secure their team’s fourth straight victory with a 4-1 win over the Red Deer Rebels.

Chris Douglas put the Rebels out in front when he beat Søgaard on a one-timer five minutes into the first period, but the Tabbies quickly fired back on the power play.

Williams was standing all alone in the left circle when he ripped a tape-to-tape pass from James Hamblin past Rebel netminder Ethan Anders for his seventh of the year with Josh Tarzwell in the box serving a minor penalty for too many men.

Red Deer’s penalty woes continued in the second when Reese Johnson was nabbed for slashing Hamblin on an oddman rush, and Williams returned the favour to his captain by setting Hamblin up for his 16th of the season with a cross-ice feed on the advantage.

Red Deer appeared to push right back when Alex Morozoff swatted a puck out of the air and past Søgaard just over a minute later, but the Rebel winger directed it into the net using his hand and the tally was immediately waved off.

Williams struck again in the dying minutes of the frame, creeping in from the side boards and snapping a shot through traffic for his third point of the game — and Medicine Hat’s third power play goal in as many opportunities — with Tarzwell in the bin for hooking.

Ryan Jevne registered an assist on the goal, pushing his point streak to four games with his ninth point in the span. Defenceman Linus Nassen picked up an assist on all three of Medicine Hat’s power play tallies.

The Rebels pushed the pace into the third period, hemming the Tigers into their own end and peppering Søgaard with 16 shots in the frame, but they were unable to find another way past the 6-foot-7 Dane, and Bryan Lockner put the game away with an empty-netter from Williams in the final minute.

Anders settled for a 34-save loss, dropping the Rebels to 20-10-2-0. Medicine Hat climbed to to 17-14-1-2 on the season and 4-0-0-0 against Red Deer.

The Tigers return to the Canalta Centre to host the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.