By Scott Roblin

Missed opportunities in Cubs loss Saturday to High River

Oct 22, 2017 | 12:33 PM

HIGH RIVER, AB – An early deficit and lack of success on the power play sunk the Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs on Saturday evening, failing to sweep their home-and-home set with the High River Flyers.

High River began their attack quickly in the first period, taking a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the contest off the stick of Evan Pakkala.

Flyers forward Egor Sinko doubled that lead to 2-0 with 8:21 left in the first period, putting his third of the season past Cubs goaltender T.J. Goldie.

Medicine Hat’s rocky opening period continued just under four minutes later, when Devon Barlow potted his first of the year from Pakkala and Davis Sheldon to make it a 3-0 contest at the intermission.

The Cubs seemed to regroup during that break and scored 1:23 into the second, with sniper Noah Irvine contributing his seventh of the season to cut the High River lead to 3-1.

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Forward Kian Simonson made it a one-goal game game with 5:18 left in the period, putting one past High River’s Dylan Jensen who faced only five shots against all period.

Rough stuff broke out shortly after the 3-2 goal, as a line brawl forced the ejections of four players including Brenden Weisgerber and Kaidin Hodgson from the Cubs.

Once all the penalties were sorted out, the Flyers increased their lead to 4-2 from a Mason Mazur unassisted goal with 3:21 left in the second.

The Flyers finished things off with a one-time deflection from Connor Minchin just under eight minutes into the third period, sending the Cubs to a 5-2 on the road.

While Medicine Hat was a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, the team couldn’t get anything rolling on the man advantage with zero goals scored on six opportunities.

Goldie was credited with the loss for the Cubs, allowing five High River goals on 29 shots.

Falling back to a .500 record, Medicine Hat is 5-5 through their first 10 games of the season and sit in third place in the South Division.

A long break lies ahead for the Cubs, as they are off for eight days before hosting the Okotoks Bisons on October 29 at 2:30 pm.