By Scott Roblin

Rassell serves as OT hero in Tigers victory over Seattle

Nov 4, 2017 | 10:48 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It wasn’t as high scoring as their affair with the Saskatoon Blades on Friday night, but a hard-fought victory for the Medicine Hat Tigers in overtime on Saturday.

Taking on the Seattle Thunderbirds at the Canalta Centre, the Tigers were without Josh Williams again, but this time due to injury.

Attending the World U17 Hockey Challenge with Team Canada Red, Williams suffered a broken collarbone due to a check from behind in practice.

There is no timetable for his return and has been sent home from the U17 tournament.

Very little to rave about in the game’s opening nine minutes, with Seattle outshooting Medicine Hat by a 2-0 count.

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That changed just before the midway mark of the first, when Medicine Hat’s Ryan Chyzowski jumped on a loose puck on the power play to pick up his eighth goal of the season.

Seattle pressed as the period went on, outshooting Medicine Hat 9-7 including a great chance on the doorstep that was turned aside by Michael Bullion. However, it was the Tigers holding a 1-0 lead at the end of 20 minutes of play.

It didn’t take quite as long for the Tigers to make an impact in the second frame, with Mark Rassell setting up Hayden Ostir with a beautiful, no-look pass from behind the net less than 90 seconds into the period.

Just before the five minute mark of the second, the Thunderbirds swarmed the goal crease with a number of bodies in front of Bullion.

Seattle put one towards a wide open cage, but Bullion reached back with the glove to rob the visiting team on the goal line and keep his team ahead by a pair.

The Thunderbirds finally broke through with 10:12 left in the second, as Blake Bargar took the puck off the rush and sniped top shelf on Bullion to make it a 2-1 contest.

Scary scene with less than five minutes to go in the period, as Bullion raced out towards the hash marks to play a loose puck.

Bullion was then bowled over by Seattle’s Cade McNelly, with the Alaska native remaining on the ice for a few minutes. 

He eventually made his way off the ice holding a towel over his bloodied face, as Jordan Hollett threw on his mask and entered the game.

Hollett shut the door for the remaining five minutes of the period, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes of play.

Medicine Hat’s top line of Rassell, Ostir, and James Hamblin continued to wreak havoc midway through the third, with Rassell completing the tic-tac-toe play to put the Tigers ahead 3-1.

Seconds later however, Seattle climbed back to within a goal thanks to a Turner Ottenbreit bomb from the point that beat Hollett.

Seattle pulled the goalie with less than two minutes to play, which paid off with another Ottenbreit shot from the point to tie the game at 3-3 and force overtime.

Fans barely had a chance to catch their breath before the OT winner, with Mark Rassell finishing off a pass from Hamblin just 11 seconds into the extra frame to secure the 4-3 Tigers win.

The Tigers top line combined for eight points on the evening, with Rassell and Ostir each posting three-point nights.

Moving to 10-6 on the season, the Tigers continue to hold top spot in the WHL’s Central Division.

Medicine Hat is off until Friday night, when they kick start a home-and-home series with the Calgary Hitmen in the ‘Stampede City.’