Tigers Come Back and Win 6-5 in OT
March 14, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release
The Tigers started the penultimate weekend of the regular season with a trip down Highway 3 to take on the rival Lethbridge Hurricanes. The home team has won each of the previous games in the season series. The Tigers were looking to reverse this trend as the two teams battle for two very important points in the standings.
The Hurricanes came out strong holding the edge in shots 13 to 7 in the first period. They had some dangerous scoring chances but Harrison Meneghin stood talk against his former team to keep the game a scoreless tie.
Lethbridge would break the draw early in the second period with a pair of quick goals. Noah Chadwick drove hard from the right side and put a wrister on net. It snuck past the netminder for Chadwick's 13th of the season. Brayden Yager and Logan Wormald picked up the helpers on the opening goal.
39 seconds later, Kooper Gizowski made it a two-goal game with his 16th. Gizowski finished off a nice tic tac toe passing play from Wormald and Brayden Edwards with a tap-in in front.
The Tigers wouldn't wait long to respond though. Just under a minute later, Oasiz Wiesblatt found Liam Ruck at the left side of the net with a backdoor pass that he was able to tap in for his 23rd. Gavin McKenna picked up the secondary assist to extend his point streak to 37 games, tying Sidney Crosby for the second longest point streak in the CHL since 2000.
Unfortunately, the Hurricanes would reinstate their two-goal lead before the end of the second period. While on the power play, Miguel Marques put away a loose rebound in front for his 12th of the season. Shane Smith and Trae Johnson grabbed the helpers on the special team's goal.
Lethbridge continued their scoring ways early in the third period with a goal 1:12 in. Wormald intercepted a pass and found Gizowski alone in the slot, where he got off a one timer that found the top corner on the short side for his second of the night.
Despite being down three, the Tigers wouldn't give up and came roaring back with four goals in just under seven minutes. Tanner Molendyk started off the comeback with his seventh of the season. He let a laser go from the left circle that found the top corner on the short side. Marcus and Liam Ruck picked up the assists.
McKenna cut the lead to one at 4:45 of the third with his 34th of the season. Crashing the net, McKenna puck back the rebound off Josh Van Mulligen's wrister from the point. Hunter St. Martin found the scoresheet with the secondary assist.
Under three minutes later, Wiebslatt finished off the comeback with his 32rd of the season. He let a wrister go from just inside the right circle that found the top left corner. McKenna added to his totals with another assist and Veeti Vaisanen got on the scoresheet with the second assist.
The Tigers would take their first lead of the game midway through the third. Kadon McCann tipped Ethan Neuten's shot into the top left corner for this 11th. Molendyk grabbed the secondary assist on the go-ahead goal.
The back-and-forth game continued as Marques got the hometown fans out of their seat with the game tying goal with 6:36 remaining. Yager's shot missed wide but the puck bounced off the boards and out front to Marques. He let a wrister go that would send the game to overtime tied 5-5.
The fast pace continued in the extra frame. The captain finished off the game with his second of the night. Wiesblatt let a wrister go from the left circle that found the top corner over the goalie's glove. The goal extended the Tigers' win streak to seven games and provided them an important two points in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Molendyk and McKenna added to their big nights with the helpers.
Harrison Meneghin got the nod in net for the Tigers against his old squad. He had a strong game making 31 saves including a number of key stops. The win was his 20th of the season. Jackson Unger was in net for the Hurricanes. He allowed six goals against on 34 shots.
Shots:
Medicine Hat - 34
Lethbridge - 36
Special Teams:
PP: 0/1 - 0%
PK: 0/1 - 0%
Stringam Law Three Stars:
Gavin McKenna - Medicine Hat
Logan Wormald - Lethbridge
Tanner Molendyk - Medicine Hat
Supplement King Hardest Working Player: Oasiz Wiesblatt
The Tigers are back in action tomorrow night when they host the Red Deer Rebels at Co-op Place. Game time is 7:00 PM (MST). Tickets are available at tixx.ca. You can also listen live on Wild 94.5 FM or watch on watch.chl.ca.
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