Coming off its only three-games-in-three nights weekend of the season – yes, it’s out of the way early – the Medicine Hat Tigers are preparing for a pair of Western Hockey League contests this weekend.
If the Tigers have their way with their opponents this weekend, as they did last season against the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels, junior hockey fans in the Gas City could find themselves in a celebratory mood by Sunday morning.
More on that later.
At 3-2-0-0 through five games to date, the Tigers occupy second place in the Central Division. Many prognosticators are picking Calgary to win the divisional banner this season, and out of the gate, the Hitmen have gone 3-0-1-0, good for top spot.
The Tigers travel to the Brandt Centre in Regina to take on the Pats Friday night. Last season, Medicine Hat owned the Pats, winning all four games between the teams. In the process, the Tigers outscored Regina, 20-11. At 1-3-0-0 to start the current campaign, Regina appears to be in rebuild mode.
Goaltender Mads Sogaard has faced Regina only once, earning a 4-2 decision at Canalta Centre last season in early December. It was a notable win for the Danish import as it began a hot streak just before he departed for the World Junior Championship.
The run included three straight wins where he blocked 108 of 113 shots, good for a .956 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average. For his efforts, Sogaard earned both the WHL Eli Wilson Goaltending Goaltender of the Week and the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week awards.
In his last start, Sogaard was the goaltender of record on Sunday when the Hitmen knocked off the Tigers 2-0 in Calgary. He earned his fifth career shutout last Friday, a 2-0 verdict over the Broncos in Swift Current.
Last Saturday, rookie Garin Bjorklund was between the pipes as the Tigers defeated the Broncos 10-1 at Canalta Centre. Bjorklund has made three career starts, including two last season while Sogaard was away at the WJC. He has never started a WHL game on the road. Will he get the nod on Friday?
This Saturday in Medicine Hat, the Red Deer Rebels come calling, a team that head coach Brent Sutter suggests might be the youngest edition he has coached in Red Deer. The Rebels dealt the visiting Saskatoon Blades a 2-1 loss on Wednesday and will take on the Broncos in Swift Current Friday night.
The Rebels may very well arrive in Medicine Hat with a chip on their shoulder. You see, last season, the Tigers defeated Red Deer in each of the six contests between the division rivals. Medicine Hat outscored the Rebels 29-14.
Depending on coach’s decisions, the tilt on Saturday evening could potentially provide an outstanding goaltending match up. The Rebels number one netminder, Ethan Anders, has been solid out of the gate this season and is likely interested in some redemption. Anders was the goaltender of record in four of the losses to Medicine Hat last season.
Of note, the Tigers went a combined 10-for-10 last season against the Pats and Rebels.
Tigers Tales…Prior to the Tigers’ loss in Calgary on Sunday, Medicine Hat had been the only WHL team to not surrender a power-play goal, a streak of 10 straight successful penalty kills. Adam Kydd scored the eventual game winner on a Calgary power play. For the season, the Tigers are 12-for-13 on the PK, tops in the league…The Tigers are 3-for-16 with the man advantage, 14th overall…At Calgary, Ryan Chyzowski, 19, played his 200th career WHL game…Defenceman Ryan Watson, from Delta, B.C., is no longer on the roster, as the Tigers have reduced the blue line brigade to seven skaters…A total of 10 teams have played five games or more so far, including the Tigers. Among those, the Tigers have given up the fewest number of goals with nine, followed by the Kelowna Rockets next at 12 goals against…The Tigers have scored 17 goals as a team, tied with the Rockets and Vancouver Giants. They trail only the Kamloops Blazers (24 in six games) and the Winnipeg ICE with 19……Overage forward James Hamblin leads the Tigers with five points (2G, 3A) through five games. Brian Lockner (4G, 0A), along with rookies Jonathan Brinkman (1G, 3A) and Cole Sillinger (2G, 2A), have chipped in with four points each…It’s very early, but Lockner’s four goals on eight shots makes for a rather tidy 50% shooting percentage…Brinkman, from Denmark, leads the team with a plus-5 rating, ahead of 16-year-old rookie defenceman Dru Krebs at plus-4…According to the WHL, the Tigers drew an average of 3,121 per game during the regular season. On opening night, announced attendance at Canalta Centre was 4,050, and last Saturday against Swift Current, attendance was 3,129, good for an average of 3,589 to date.
