The Medicine Hat Tigers waltzed into Prospera Place Friday and knocked off the Kelowna Rockets, 8-5.
It was the Tigers’ fourth game in seven nights on a run through the B.C. Division. Medicine Hat has won three of four on its current road trip.
“There was a lot of positives, but there were some breakdowns defensively,” said Rockets head coach Adam Foote post-game. “You just keep on working.
“We have to really watch the middle of the ice. We’re letting teams come down with speed. We have to try to fix that.”
The Rockets (9-6-1-1) opened the scoring when Kobe Mohr (2) deflected a shot past Tigers keeper Mads Sogaard, but Brett Kemp (5) and Daniel Baker (6) replied before the end of the period to take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.
It was a lead the Tigers would not relinquish.
The teams exchanged six goals in the second period, with Medicine Hat hanging on to a 5-4 lead after 40 minutes.
Alex Swetlikoff (5) tied the contest, scoring in his third straight game, but Jonathan Brinkman(2), Bryan Lockner (5) and Tyler Preziuso (6) gave the Tigers a 5-2 advantage.
Brinkman chipped in with three points on the night after going silent for a while.
The Danish import had one point in his past 13 games before the outburst in Kelowna.
Michael Farren (2) and Leif Mattson (3) tallied late for the Rockets, breathing some life back into the building.
A total of 5,223 fans took in the affair, bumping average attendance at Prospera Place to 5,005 through eight home games this season.
Mattson scored his second of the game midway through the third frame, but the Tigers took control the rest of the way.
Trevor Longo (4), Carson Howpo (2) and Eric Van Impe (2) completed the scoring for Medicine Hat (12-5-1).
“I thought we outplayed them for most of the game,” said Mattson. “The goals we gave them were due to simple mistakes.
“Five or six mistakes tonight, we lose the game. They capitalized on everything we gave them.”
Game Notes…Medicine Hat outshot Kelowna, 41-33…Sogaard, in his 50th career regular season start, made 28 stops while Roman Basran blocked 33 shots for Kelowna…The Tigers were 3-for-5 on the power play. Kelowna went 1-for-2. Farren’s marker was a shorthanded goal…Nolan Foote was assessed a major and game misconduct for checking to the head at the 7:20 mark of the second period, after colliding with Tigers forward Nick McCarry. Should the veteran forward face supplemental discipline, it will be a big blow to a team already playing without high-scoring forward Kyle Topping, who is out long-term with a broken ankle…Kelowna plays in Spokane tonight, then in Kamloops Monday afternoon. That’s four games in six nights…Defenceman Parker Gavlas did not play for the Tigers. He was assessed a major and game misconduct Wednesday in Prince George for a check to the head and may be facing supplemental discipline…Medicine Hat takes on the Blazers (11-6) in Kamloops Saturday, then heads home to Alberta. The next home game for the Tigers is Nov. 16 when the Edmonton Oil Kings come calling.
