Tigers Win 7-6 to Take Commanding Series Lead

Sports stats



WHL Medicine Hat Tigers

Tigers Win 7-6 to Take Commanding Series Lead

April 30, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Medicine Hat Tigers News Release


The Tigers were in Lethbridge on Tuesday night for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Medicine Hat leads the series 2-0 after taking for first two games on home ice. The Hurricanes were hoping to use their home ice advantage to get back in the series. Another win for the Tigers though would give them a commanding series lead.

The Hurricanes came out swinging in the first period. They opened the scoring for the first time in the series just 3:41 into the opening frame while on the power play. Easton Daneault grabbed the puck down low off a missed shot and moved it up to Caden Price up top on the right side of the blue line. He quickly moved the puck across the line to Kooper Gizowski on the other side. He took a couple of strides in and let a wrister loose that beat the netminder over the blocker shoulder. The goal was Gizowski's fifth of the playoffs.

Lethbridge made it a 2-0 game midway through the first period. Miguel Marques chipped the puck off the boards to Brayden Edwards to send the Hurricanes in on an odd man rush. Edwards entered the zone on the right side and found Noah Chadwick trailing in the slot. He let a wrister go and beat the goalie on the glove side. The goal was Chadwick's sixth of the post season.

The Hurricanes would come out strong again to start the second period. The Tigers entered the offensive zone but a pass got behind a player. Luke Cozens was able to grab the puck and find Kash Andresen all alone behind the Tigers defence. He skated in and beat the netminder on the short side with a wrister for his first career WHL playoff goal.

The Tigres would respond quickly though with their first of the night. Jonas Woo put a great shot on net but the Canes' netminder got a pad on it and moved the puck to the corner. Gavin McKenna picked the puck up in the corner and spotted Ryder Ritchie heading to the slot from behind the net. Ritchie received the pass, turned to face the net and fired a wrister that found the top corner on the glove side. Ritchie's eighth of the playoffs got the Tigers on the board and cut the lead to two.

The Hurricanes' power play got a chance just before the midway mark of the second period. Their offense kept firing on all cylinders and they were able to reinstate their three-goal lead. Chadwick moved the puck down low to Marques. He held the puck for a few seconds until Chadwick had slid over to the slot. Marques hit him with a return pass that he one-timed in for his second goal of the night. Brayden Yager picked up his first point of the night with the secondary assist on the power play marker.

The Tigers thought that they had cut the lead to two again a couple of minutes later while on a power play of their own. The goal was called off though due to a hand pass. The Tigers power play wasn't finished though as they still had 1:28 remaining in the man advantage. They would make the most of the remaining power play with Liam Ruck netting his fourth of the postseason. Bryce Pickford received the puck on the right side of the blueline and swung it over to Tanner Molendyk. He moved the puck quickly to Ruck at the right faceoff dot. He snapped a shot that found a small window on the short side to cut the lead back to two.

Medicine Hat would strike once more before the end of the middle frame. The Tigers were pressuring hard and the Hurricanes were able to clear the zone for a moment. Veeti Vaisanen tapped the puck to Tanner Molendyk and she skated the puck back into the offensive zone. He skated past the defenders and let a quick wrister go from the right faceoff circle that found the top corner on the short side. Molendyk's third of the playoffs cut the Hurricanes' lead to one heading into the third period.

The Hurricanes got a much-needed goal early in the third period to get the hometown fans back in the game and reinstate their two-goal lead. Edwards came in with defenders on him so he turned and fired a shot on net. The initial save was made but Marques was in the right spot to tap in the rebound for his fourth of the season.

The Tigers took a penalty early in the third. It looked as though the momentum was going to shift back to the Hurricanes but the Tigers were able to flip the script. Molendyk grabbed the puck, skated behind the Tigers and cleared the puck off the glass. Mathew Ward was skating hard up the ice and grabbed the puck at the Canes' blue line. He skated in and sniped a wrister top corner to get the Tigers back within a single goal. The shorthanded goal was Ward's third of the playoffs.

The Tigers would even things up a few minutes later. The puck came back to Jonas Woo at the point and he turned and wristed a shot on net. The puck ricocheted off Misha Volotovskii in the slot and went to Kadon McCann at the side of the net. He backhanded in his first career WHL playoff goal to even the game up at five apiece.

The Hurricanes would get a lucky break late to retake the lead late in the period. Battling in the corner, the puck bounced out and over a Tigers' stick. It came out to Yager all alone in the slot and he made the most of his opportunity. He teed it up and let a slapper go that found the top left corner for his eight.

Trailing by one late, the Tigers decided to go with the extra skater with just under three minutes remaining. They pressured hard and had a number of opportunities. With only 70 seconds remaining, Pickford gave the Tigers life in the game with his sixth of the playoffs. Molendyk had the puck up top and moved it down to McKenna at the half wall. He found Pickford with a cross-ice pass. The pass bounced over Pickford's blade but he collected it and let a wrister go that found the top corner over the goalie's glove to force overtime.

Early in the extra frame, the Tigers were pressuring but the Hurricanes grabbed the puck and started moving out of the zone. Or so it seemed. McKenna intercepted the exit pass just before the blueline and skated in on a 2-on-0 break. He passed across to Oasiz Wiesblatt who was able to tap in his 14th of the playoffs to give the Tigers a 7-6 win and a 3-0 series lead.

Harrison Meneghin picked up his ninth win of the playoffs making 21 saves on 27 shots. Jackson Unger was back in net for the Hurricanes. He made 38 saves on 45 shots.

Shots:

Medicine Hat - 45

Lethbridge - 27

Special Teams:

PP: 1/2 - 50%

PK: 2/4 - 50%

Stringam Law Three Stars:

Tanner Molendyk - Medicine Hat

Noah Chadwick - Lethbridge

Jonas Woo - Medicine Hat

Supplement King Hardest Working Player: Oasiz Wiesblatt

The series continues tomorrow night with Game 4 at VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Game time is 7:00 PM (MST). You can listen live on Wild 94.5 FM or watch free on the Victory+ app.

Check out the Medicine Hat Tigers Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Western Hockey League message board...

Western Hockey League Stories from April 30, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central