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WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Tigers Claw Their Way to a 3-1 Victory in Saskatoon

March 21, 2015 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


Medicine Hat, AB -- The Medicine Hat Tigers have to avoid the Saskatoon Blades becoming spoilers for their chances of winning the Central Division. The Blades, who will finish with the worst record in the WHL, are playing for pride this weekend and looked to upset the surging Tigers on the final weekend of the regular season.

The opening frame was a defensive battle, with not a lot of chances going for each side as these two clubs hadn't seen each other since January 16th, when Saskatoon pulled off a 5-4 victory. Marek Langhamer got the start in net for Medicine Hat, marking the night as his 7th start in his last 8 games, while the Blades countered with local product Brock Hamm. Medicine Hat would get the crucial 1st goal as Drydent Hunt would pot his 33rd of the year on a Tigers power play. The Blades came into the night with the WHL's second worst penalty kill and the Tigers fortunately made them pay. But moments later the Blades would get a bit of puck luck as a centering pass from Nick Zajac went off of Tyler Lewington and in the back of the net to tie the game at 1 after 20 minutes.

The second period belonged to the Tigers as they dominated the shot clock and possession time as the penalty box would also fill up from this moment forward. The period also saw lots of 4 on 4 action as once the Tigers took a penalty the Blades would negate the man advantage by taking a penalty of their own. Chad Labelle had enough of Nick Zajac in the frame. Zajac hit Labelle twice hard in the neutral zone, after the second check, the 5'8 Tigers forward decided to take matters into his own hands and drop the mitts. Labelle held his own and would score a few shots to the Blades winger.

Chad Butcher would add to the Tigers lead as he went around the world so to speak and skated the entire zone of the Blades before wristing home a shot that caught Hamm off guard, for Butcher it was his 20th of the season. Moments later on a bizarre play, Trevor Cox would slap a puck on net, the puck seemed to have went in off the back bar and out, the call on the ice was not goal and play continued for almost two minutes. Once play was halted the Tigers also picked up a penalty on the play. The goal was reviewed and counted, giving Medicine Hat a much needed 2 goal lead and the penalty was eliminated because of the review rule.

The final period didn't see much offense by either team as the clubs tightened up their defensive play to protect the lead. The Blades would push hard but only could muster 9 shots on goal in the final 20 minutes. The Blades also pulled their goalie in the dying seconds trying to get within 1 late, the Tigers couldn't score on the empty net, but when the buzzer sounded Medicine Hat came out on top. Marek Langhamer would save 21 of 22 shots in the victory.

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