Tigers Fall 5-4 to Swift Current in Game 3

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WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Tigers Fall 5-4 to Swift Current in Game 3

April 2, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


The series switched to Swift Current on Tuesday night for Game 3. The Tigers hold the lead in the series having won both of the previous games in Medicine Hat. The two teams split the regular season games in Swift Current during the regular season.

The Tigers opened up the scoring for the third straight game in the series. Midway through the first period, Oasiz Wiesblatt brought the puck into the slot area but ended up losing it. Fortunately, Bryce Pickford was following and was able to grab the loose puck and roof it for his third of the postseason. Gavin McKenna picked up the assist to record his playoff leading 10th point.

Swift Current got the home crowd cheering less than a minute later though as they got on the board and evened the score up. Trae Wilke let a wrister go from the left faceoff circle that beat the Tigers goalie on the glove side. Rylan Gould and Connor Dale picked up the helpers on Wilke's first of the playoffs.

The Broncos added another goal before the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. Carlin Dezainde scored his first on a nearly identical goal to Wilke's. Grayson Burzynski and Reid Dyck were credited with the assists on the go-ahead goal.

Medicine Hat would even the game up again early in the second period. McKenna found Josh Van Mulligen skating into the offensive zone with a cross-ice pass. Van Mulligen skated in and went bar down with a wrister for his first of the series. Wiesblatt also picked up an assist for his second of the game.

The back-and-forth game continued as two minutes later the Broncos would retake the lead. Hunter Mayo moved the puck across the blueline to Payton Kettles who got off a fluttering shot. The puck was tipped by a Tigers defender and landed in front of Dezainde in the slot. He was able to tap the puck in for his second of the game to give Swift Current a 3-2 lead.

The momentum seems to switch and the Broncos took advantage adding another goal a minute later. While on a 4 on 3 power play, Clarke Caswell let a wrister loose in the slot that was deflected in by Dezainde for his hat trick goal. Mayo picked up the secondary assist for his second of the night.

The Tigers would get one back before the end of the second period to cut the Broncos' lead to one. While killing a penalty, Mathew Ward found Hunter St. Martin with a no look backward pass. St. Martin skated in, toe dragged the Broncos' defender and got off a wrister that snuck through the Broncos' netminder. The goal was St. Martin's first of the playoffs.

Medicine Hat would silence the crowd at the InnovationPlex midway through the third period. Ryder Ritchie kept the puck from exiting the zone and moved it down low to McKenna. He skated towards the net and found Wiesblatt with a cross-crease feed that he one timed in for his league leading sixth of the playoffs.

The Tigers would have a chance late in the period after Misha Volotovskii was hooked on a breakaway. Volotovskii was awarded the Tigers' first penalty shot of the season. Unfortunately Volotovskii's attempt was stopped.

With 3:50 remaining in the third, Dale would bring the home town fans back to their feet with his first goal of the postseason. Kettles found him with a breakout pass. He skated in with a defender draped on him. He made a last second move and was able to put in a backhand to give the Broncos a 5-4 lead.

The Tigers would pull the goalie and go with the extra skater for the final 1:39. They had some chances but unfortunately they weren't able to get the tying goal.

The win for the Broncos cuts the Tigers' series lead to 2-1 and guarantees another game at Co-op Place on Friday, April 4th.

Harrison Meneghin got the start in net for the Tigers. He saved 7 of 11 shots he faced in a period and a half of action. Jordan Switzer came on in relief and stopped 14 of 15 shots. Reid Dyck saved 31 of 35 shots to pick up the win in net for the Broncos.

Shots:

Medicine Hat - 36

Swift Current - 26

Special Teams:

PP: 0/2 - 0%

PK: 3/4 - 75%

Stringam Law Three Stars:

Connor Dale - Swift Current

Carlin Dezainde - Swift Current

Oasiz Wiesblatt - Medicine Hat

Supplement King Hardest Working Player: Hunter St. Martin

The series continues tomorrow night with Game 4 in Swift Current at the InnovationPlex. Game time is 7:00 PM (MST). Listen live on Wild 94.5 FM or watch free on the Victory+ app.

Check out the Medicine Hat Tigers Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2025


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