By Scott Roblin

Tigers allow seven goals in loss to Hurricanes in Lethbridge

Oct 22, 2017 | 8:55 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Medicine Hat Tigers had no answer for Zane Franklin on Sunday evening, allowing a hat-trick in a 7-2 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Franklin opened up the scoring at the Enmax Centre just 19 seconds into the contest, beating Tigers starter Jordan Hollett to a loose puck and giving the ‘Canes an early 1-0 lead.

Medicine Hat responded quickly however thanks to captain Mark Rassell, who scored on a great individual effort to even the game at 1-1 less than three minutes into the contest.

On a delayed call late in the first, Lethbridge jumped back into the driver’s seat with Franklin’s second of the game off a tip from the point to make it 2-1 heading to the intermission.

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Less than six minutes into the second, Franklin completed the hat-trick and boosted the Hurricanes lead to a pair, before Dylan Cozens added a marker of his own just a few minutes later to put Lethbridge ahead 4-1.

A sign of life for Medicine Hat with 5:54 remaining in the second thanks to James Hamblin converting off a rebound to close the Lethbridge lead to 4-2.

Hurricanes veteran Ryan Vandervlis made sure to cut the Tigers momentum however, scoring on a breakaway past Hollett for his first of the 2017-18 season and a 5-2 Lethbridge lead at the break.

Goals from Lethbridge forwards Egor Zudilov and Brady Pouteau stretched the game out of reach for Medicine Hat, with the Tigers falling to the ‘Canes by a 7-2 final score.

Along with Franklin, Calen Addison, Ty Prefontaine, Giorgio Estephan, and Cozens all had multi-point nights for Lethbridge.

It was the first game in Tigers silks for Hayden Ostir, who was acquired on Thursday night from the Spokane Chiefs as part of a deal for Zach Fischer.

Ostir was a minus-two on the night, with two shots on goal and lost both face-offs he took against Lethbridge.

Hollett played all 60 minutes for Medicine Hat allowing seven goals on 36 shots, while his counterpart in Stuart Skinner made 35 saves on 37 shots against.

Seeing their three-game win streak come crashing down, Medicine Hat still sits in first place in the Central Division with a record of 6-4.

A busy week lies ahead for the Tigers, as they begin four games in five days on Tuesday when they head to Red Deer to square off against the Rebels.