By Matt Nemeth

Tigers take 2-0 series lead over Brandon with 5-3 win

Mar 25, 2017 | 11:10 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Zach Fischer scored twice and the Tigers held off a late Brandon surge to take a 2-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal with a 5-3 win over the Wheat Kings Saturday night at the Canalta Centre.  

Fischer opened up the scoring for the Tigers with only 11 seconds remaining in the first after good situational awareness by David Quenneville led to him keeping the play alive after joining the rush. Quenneville now has four assists after the first two games of the series.

The Tigers potent power play resulted in Max Gerlach making it a 2-0 game, with his first ever postseason tally coming at the 12:22 mark of the second.

The bad blood between the two teams would spill over twice in the middle period. A combined 36 penalty minutes were doled out in the contest, with Fischer and Kade Jensen picking up fighting majors after a scrum near the Brandon net in the second.

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Michael Bullion got the nod in net for the Tigers for the second straight game.

The Alaska native made 20 saves on 23 shots, his biggest one coming on a Zach Russel breakaway to preserve the Tabbies 1-0 lead midway through the second. A goal by Connor Gutenberg at 7:45 in the third would snap Bullion’s bid for his first career postseason shut out.

Logan Thompson was once again the man in the middle of a Medicine Hat shooting gallery.

The 20-year-old Brandon goalie was peppered with 42 shots in the game and turned away 38 of them, including a sprawling cross crease gem on Tigers captain Clayton Kirichenko with time running out in the second on a two on one to keep it a two goal game. The Calgary product however would leave the game in the third and not return after getting tangled up with Gerlach in his crease.

Under five minutes into the third Fischer collected his second of the night with a top shelf snipe coming down the wing.

After Swedish import John Dahlstrom made it a 4-1 game with his first career playoff goal Brandon would make things interesting in the later stages.

Reid Duke scored at 11:08 in the third to make it a two goal game, then Tyler Coulter scored his second of the series with under two minutes to go.

The Tigers though were able to hold off the late push by Brandon as Dahlstrom picked up his second goal of the game by firing the puck into an empty cage to seal the deal with 16 seconds left.

For the second straight game projected top draft pick Nolan Patrick didn’t dress for Brandon.

Both teams now hit the road to resume their series on Tuesday night in Dauphin, Manitoba. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm.