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Medicine Hat Tigers

Tigers Drop Playoff Opener 5-3 to Ice

March 31, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


Winnipeg, MB - The Winnipeg ICE drew first blood in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Final Friday night, knocking off the Medicine Hat Tigers 5-3.

The Scotty Munroe Trophy winners got on the horse quickly as the ICE would bury on a Winnipeg power play at 1:50 as Zach Ostaphchuk would counter on a rebound to make it 1-0 ICE from Connor McClennon & Ben Zloty. Winnipeg would keep the Tigers on their toes in the opening 10 minutes as Matthew Savoie would add to the ICE lead of 2-0 on an odd-man rush feed from Ben Zloty & Carter Profosky at 8:22. But cue Andrew Basha (Calgary, AB), his linemate all season Oasiz Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB) wins a puck battle down low in the Winnipeg zone and is able to find Basha for the Tigers first goal of the playoffs at 11:01 to cut the ICE lead to 2-1. Reid Andresen (Saskatoon, SK) would add an assist on the Basha goal. Despite the quick start by Winnipeg, Medicine Hat would respond with 13 shots just one back of Winnipeg's 14 in that first period.

A busy second period saw the Tigers with plenty of scoring chances but weren't able to cash in despite one power play for but ICE goaltender Daniel Hauser would keep the visitors from Medicine Hat at bay and would be rewarded with two power plays of their own and would make pay dirt on Evan Friesen's 1st of the playoff beating Tigers goaltender Beckett Langkow (Vegreville, AB) on a scramble in tight to push the Winnipeg lead to 3-1 after 40 minutes of play.

The third period would see push back from both sides as the ICE would continue their scoring ways on another power play as Savoie would one-time his second of the night past Beckett Langkow to make it 4-1 from Zloty & McClennon at 4:55, but the Tigers would have a power play chance exactly 10 minutes into the third and Andrew Basha would tap home his second of the night from Wiesblatt & Brenden Lee (Seattle, WA) to make it a two goal deficit once again. After a four minute slew footing penalty to ICE D Carter Prosoftsky, the Tigers threw everything at the ICE net but Daniel Hauser would be stern in the Winnipeg net, and with the Tiger net empty, Matthew Savoie would get his hat-trick goal helping seal the ICE victory at 18:53. With just 11 seconds left on the clock Rhett Parsons (Cremona, AB) would blast home his first ever WHL Playoff goal as well on this night to make the score close but the Tigers would drop Game 1, 5-3.

Winnipeg now leads the Best of 7, 1-0 and Game Two goes Saturday night, You can catch the game on the Home of the Tigers WILD 94.5 with Gino De Paoli, starting with the pre-game show at 4:45 and puck-drop is set for 5 PM.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 31, 2023


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