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Tigers rally in shootout in Edmonton, snap losing skid

Dec 16, 2017 | 10:30 PM

 

EDMONTON, AB – Almost turning into their fifth straight loss, the Medicine Hat Tigers were able to come through in the shootout on Saturday night to head into the Christmas break on the right foot.

Coming into Saturday’s showdown with the last-placed Oil Kings, the Tigers had lost nine of their last 11 games and were without a win since December 6.

The Oil Kings found the scoreboard first in this one, with Davis Koch netting his 14th of the season less than four minutes into the game on the power play.

Edmonton product David Quenneville was able to tie up the game in front of his hometown fans shortly after however, making it a 1-1 game early in the first.

Max Gerlach got in on the scoring for the Tigers with seven minutes to go in the period, scoring unassisted for his 12th and Medicine Hat’s first lead of the game heading into the intermission.

Medicine Hat added onto their lead in the second period with a goal from Dawson Heathcote, beating Oil Kings netminder Josh Dechaine for his fifth of the year to put the Tigers up 3-1 after 40 minutes of play.

Edmonton wasn’t ready to see their night come to an end however, with Tomas Soustal sniping one past Tigers goalie Jordan Hollett to close the Medicine Hat lead to 3-2 with 6:09 left.

The Tigers lead evaporated with just over two minutes remaining, as Trey Fix-Wolansky scored Edmonton’s second power play marker of the night to send this game to overtime.

Both Hollett and Dechaine were up to the task in the extra frame, with both the Tigers and Oil Kings needing a shootout to decide Saturday’s contest.

Captain Mark Rassell converted on Medicine Hat’s first chance in the shootout, while Hollett stopped all three shooters he faced to preserve a 4-3 win for the ‘Tabbies.’

Hollett racked up his 11th win of the season with the Tigers, stopping 30 of the 33 shots he faced on Saturday.

Finishing the unofficial first half of the WHL season with a 18-14-2-0 record, the Tigers still remain six points up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes for first place in the Central Division.

Off for the Christmas break, the Tigers will return to the Canalta Centre ice on December 27 to being the second half of their season against the Hurricanes.