Game Day Preview February 18 vs Red Deer
Published on February 18, 2023 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
LAST GAME 3-2 SOW Vs Lethbridge Hurricanes: Rhett Parsons & Brenden Lee would score in regulation time but it would take seven rounds of a shootout to finally decide a winner as Shane Smith walked the Tigers off with his first career shootout goal in the WHL on route to the Tigers 3-2 win over the Hurricanes. Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow went 7 for 7 in the shootout for his 3rd win in a shootout this season tying him for the WHL lead.
VS RED DEER: This is the 5th of 6 meetings between the Tigers and Rebels with Red Deer holding the season series advantage with three wins and a shootout loss to the Tigers. The most recent match-up fell on December 16th at Co-op Place where Evan May made 45 saves in a 6-4 loss to the Rebels. Cayden Lindstrom, Oasiz Wiesblatt, Tyler MacKenzie & Brayden Boehm all scored in the loss. In the season series Cayden Lindstrom leads all Tigers with five points in 4 games against Red Deer (3 goals, 2 assists) in all 4 games so far.
Head to Head All-time, the Tigers are 86-73-5-4 with 4 ties, while at home Medicine Hat holds a 48-31-3-2 record with 3 ties.
HEAD TO HEAD
Oct 21 @ MH (4-2 L)
Nov 25 @ RD (3-2 SOW)
Dec 7 @ RD (5-2 L)
Dec 16 @ MH (6-4 L)
Feb 18 @ MH
Feb 20 @ RD
TALE OF THE TAPE
MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (22-22-7-1) 52pts
5TH in Central Division
9TH in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 41/221 - 18.6% - Home 20/104 - 19.2%
Vs RD - 1/7 - 14.2% @ RD - 2/11 - 18.1%
PK - Overall 162/219 -73.9% - Home 76/98 -77.5%
Vs RD - 7/9 - 77.7% @ RD - 8/10 - 80.0%
RED DEER REBELS (36-13-3-2) 61pts
1ST in Central Division
2ND in Eastern Conference
PP - Overall 63/238 - 26.5% - Away 25/97 - 25.8%
Vs MH - 2/10 - 20.0% @MH - 2/8 - 25.0%
PK -Overall 200/244 -82.0% - Away 70/95 - 73.7%
Vs MH - 9/11 - 81.8 @MH - 6/7 - 85.7%
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON STAT LEADERS
Goals - Lee (21) Assists - Basha (31)
Points - Wiesblatt (44) +/- Basha (+16)
PIMS - Wiesblatt (68) Wins - Langkow (20)
Shutouts - N/A Save % - May .889%
GAA - Langkow (3.19)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Andrew Basha 51 GP: 11-32-43 PTS - Oasiz Wiesblatt 52 GP: 20-24-44 PTS
- Brayden Boehm 52 GP: 18-17-35 PTS - Brenden Lee 41 GP: 21-18-39 PTS
- Dru Krebs 51 GP: 5-27-32 PTS - Cayden Lindstrom 45 GP: 14-16-30 PTS
- Dallon Melin 51 GP: 13-20-33 PTS - Bogdans Hodass 40 GP: 9-15-24 PTS
- Pasha Bocharov 52: 11-13-24 PTS
MILESTONE WATCH
- Dru Krebs: 3 GP away from 200 GP - Andrew Basha 1 GP away from 100 career GP
- Owen MacNeil: 18 GP away from 200 GP - Bogdans Hodass: 4 GP from 100 career GP
- Rhett Parsons: 15 GP from 150 career GP - Oasiz Wiesblatt: 12 GP from 150 career GP
HOW THE TIGERS WERE BUILT
WHL Draft (12): Andresen, Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Smith, St. Martin, Boehm, Van Mulligen, Mrsic, Lindstrom, Basha, McKenna
Trade (5): Bocharov, Lee, MacNeil, Smythe & May CHL Import Draft (1): Hodass
Listed/Signed (2): Langkow, Hanas Waivers (1): Melin
ROSTER AGE BREAKDOWN (* indicates rookie):
Alberta - 12 - Parsons, Wiesblatt, MacKenzie, Krebs, Langkow, St. Martin *, Smith *, Melin, Van Mulligen *, MacNeil, Basha,
BC - 5 - Smythe, Lindstrom *, Mrsic *, Boehm, May
Saskatchewan- 1 - Andresen Yukon-1-McKenna*
USA - 3 - Lee, Hanas & Bocharov Latvia - 1 - Hodass
PREVIOUS THREE GAMES NEXT THREE GAMES (all times MT/SD
Sun Feb 5 Vs Regina Pats (5-1 W) Sat Feb 18 Vs Red Deer Rebels (7pm)
Fri Feb 10 Vs Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-0 L) Mon Feb 20 @ Red Deer Rebels (2pm)
Sun Feb 11 Vs Lethbridge Hurricanes (7pm) Wed Feb 22 @ Regina Pats (6pm)
NEWS & NOTES
Defenders Attack: The Tigers defence core of Kurtis Smythe, Rhett Parsons, Bogdans Hodass, Dru Krebs, Pasha Bocharov, Josh Van Mulligen & Reid Andresen have contributed to 134 points (37 goals, 99) assists)
Nice Shooting Soldier!: Tigers Defenceman Pasha Bocharov is second in WHL defenceman when it comes to shooting percentage at 12.4% on 89 shots.
Just Like He Dru It Up: Tigers defenceman and Washington Capitals prospect Dru Krebs is tied for 19th in WHL Defencemen points (5 goals, 27 assists) in 51 games.
Bend It Like Beckett: Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow is 15th among WHL goaltenders, while he's 2nd amongst WHL goaltenders with minutes played, 2366, as well as he leads in games played with 41. Langkow is also tied for the league lead with shootout wins with 3.
The Chetwynd Kid: Tigers Centre Cayden Lindstrom is 8th in WHL Rookie scoring with 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 44 games played.
From Cessford with Love: Tigers Rookie Forward Shane Smith is 3rd in Rookie goal scoring with 16.
Man Down, No Problem: Going into tonight's game against Swift Current, the Tigers are 7th in shorthanded goals for in the WHL with 9, (Smith x2, St. Martin, Bocharov, Boehm x2, MacNeil, Lee, Melin)
Mr. 400: Tigers Head Coach & Willie Desjardins notched his 400th win as a Head Coach with the Medicine Hat Tigers December 10th in a 6-3 win at home against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Desjardins record in his 13 seasons coaching in the WHL. Desjardins first win as Tigers Head Coach was a 4-3 win on September 24, 2002 against the Saskatoon Blades.
Latvian Leap: Second year defenceman Bogdans Hodass represented Team Lativa at the completed 2023 World Junior Hockey Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the second straight year. Hodass had 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists
Silver Lining: Tigers forward Tomas Mrsic returns to the Tigers after taking home a silver medal at the World U17s in Langley, BC. Mrsic had one goal and one assists for Team Canada Red. Cayden Lindstrom also participated in the U17s as a member of Team White scoring two goals and two assists in the tournament.
MacNeil's Navy: The Tigers announced their leadership group for the 2022-23 WHL Season, Owen MacNeil was named the 39th Captain in Tigers history, while Rhett Parsons, Dru Krebs, Tyler MacKenzie & Dallon Melin will all wear alternate captain's A's on their jerseys this season.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 18, 2023
- ICE Take Down Regina, 7-4 - Winnipeg Ice
- Hitmen Down Oil Kings, 7-2 - Calgary Hitmen
- Warriors Finish Weekend on Losing End in Prince Albert - Moose Jaw Warriors
- Pats Show Valiant Effort in 7-4 Loss to ICE - Regina Pats
- Raiders Cap Off Weekend With 5-2 Win Over Warriors - Prince Albert Raiders
- For WHL Alumnus Miske, WHL Scholarship Helped Set New Career Course - Spokane Chiefs
- 16 WHL Alumni Named to Canada West Men's Hockey All-Star Teams - Spokane Chiefs
- Four Winterhawks Prospects Competing at 2023 Canada Winter Games - Portland Winterhawks
- Chiefs Look to Keep Momentum Going against Rival Americans - Spokane Chiefs
- Preview: Tri-City And Portland At Kelowna - Kelowna Rockets
- Game Day Hub: February 18 at Kelowna - Portland Winterhawks
- Game Day Preview February 18 vs Red Deer - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Wheat Kings Close out Road Trip in Swift Current - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Pats Begin Three Game Homestand Tonight vs. Winnipeg - Regina Pats
- Ams Take on Chiefs for First Responders Night at the Toyota Center - Tri-City Americans
- Game #51 - ICE at Regina - Winnipeg Ice
- T-Birds Slip by Tri-CIty - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Pillar and Lies Return in Blades 6-4 vs Royals - Saskatoon Blades
- Chiefs Rally Late, Steal 4-3 Shootout Win in Everett - Everett Silvertips
- Royals Drop High-Scoring Game to Blades - Victoria Royals
- Chiefs Battle Back from Three-Goal Deficit to Take Down Silvertips in Shootout - Spokane Chiefs
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