Medicine Hat 3 Red Deer 2 (SO)
On a night the Red Deer Rebels needed to be fast, the Medicine Hat Tigers were faster.
The Tigers handed the Rebels their second loss at home taking the game in the shootout 3-2 after outshooting Red Deer 42-22.
“I didn’t think we played as fast with the puck as we need to,” said head coach Steve Konowalchuk. “I thought we were looking to make plays every time we got it coming out of our end and through the neutral zone. When they weren’t there sometimes they got turned over and then we did put them in.”
“We were standing still at times because we weren’t playing fast and first instinct has to go north… With the way we managed our puck at times, it allowed that team to come at us a couple of shifts too many.”
In the first period Rebels forward Talon Brigley capitalized on the man advantage and scored his third of the year off a redirect in front of the net off a point shot from defenceman Jace Weir.
Just over midway through the opening period, the Tigers answered when forward Tyler MacKenzie scored his ninth of the year.
Just minutes into the second period forward Kai Uchacz regained the 2-1 lead for the home team while on the penalty kill. Uchacz was sent on a breakaway after the Tigers turned it over in the neutral zone and he sniped it in the top right corner off a wrist shot. Soon after Uchacz was checked awkwardly into the boards and was taken to the locker room but he did return later in the period.
In the final frame, the Tigers tied the game 2-2 late in the period when forward Brendan Lee fired in a one-timer in front of the net that just snuck through the five-hole of goaltender Kyle Kelsey. Following that Rebels forward Dwayne Jean Jr. was awarded a penalty shot but could not capitalize on the opportunity.
The game then headed to overtime where neither team could find the back of the net. The Tigers had a great opportunity alone in front of the net but could not beat Kelsey who laid down and made the pad stop.
In the shootout Medicine Hat’s first shooter Brendan Lee deked Kelsey out of position and fired it in. Jean Jr. shot first for the Rebels but was unable to bury it.
Next up for the Tigers was Andrew Basha who scored which set up a must-score situation for Uchacz who scored through the five-hole on goaltender Beckett Langkow.
To extend the shootout Kelsey needed to stop Oasiz Wiesblatt but could not come up with the much-needed save. Wish the loss the Rebels pick up a single point and are have lost seven of their last eight games.
“One of their strengths is they’re a quick team but we are certainly a quick team too. We didn’t look as quick as we should or and you know it’s a mindset,” he added.
