By Mitch Bach

Stotts’ early birthday present; scoring OT winner over Tigers

Jan 3, 2018 | 8:48 PM

CALGARY, AB — Riley Stotts was the overtime hero as the Calgary Hitmen squeaked out a rare victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Stotts, who turns 18 in two days, fired home the game winner 47 seconds into the extra frame in a game which saw the Hitmen never lead the Tigers.

Mark Kastelic, Jakob Stukel, and Hunter Campbell also scored for the Hitmen, who improve to 12-20-5-1 on the season. Former Tigers netminder Nick Schneider turned aside 23 shots for the victory. Calgary’s won just five of the last 21 matches against Medicine Hat, dating back five seasons.

The OT loss drops Medicine Hat to 21-15-3-0 on the season, but remain six points clear of the Kootenay ICE for the Central Division lead. Dave Quenneville, Mark Rassell and Max Gerlach tickled the twine in their first loss of 2018.

Jordan Hollett deflected 28 Hitmen shots fired his way.

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Despite being outshot 17-7, the Tigers escaped to a 1-1 tie after the first period. Dave Quenneville batted home his 16th of the season on the powerplay 13:25 into the game. Calgary squared things up with Mark Kastelic’s 13th of the campaign before the period’s end.

It took Tigers captain Mark Rassell just 1:37 of second period play to regain the lead, finishing off a feed from Henry Rybinski. Rookie Rybinski returned to the line-up after being sidelined with illness Monday in Cranbrook.

Stukel locked the match at 2-2 nearing the midway mark of the game unassisted; his 18th of the season. But Gerlach made no mistake on regaining the Tabbies lead for a third time less that two minutes later.

Campbell continues the scoring parade with the fourth goal of the frame with about seven minutes ahead of the second intermission.

Penalties racked up for both teams. The Tigers were sent to the sin bin on eight occasions, three of which served by rookie Baxter Anderson. Calgary’s discipline wasn’t a whole lot better, taking seven minors through the contest. 

Medicine Hat connected for two powerplay markers while Calgary was successful on one opportunity.

The Tigers are just beginning a month of January loaded with action. They’ll play 16 in 31 nights, and are now 1-0-1-0 since the turn of the calendar. Their first home game of 2018 is on Friday, hosting the lowly Edmonton Oil Kings who sit last in the Western Hockey League standings.