By Scott Roblin

Tigers shelled for six, road losing streak continues in Swift Current

Feb 16, 2018 | 9:01 PM

SWIFT CURRENT, SK – The floodgates opened against the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday night, who were unable to keep their heads above water in a 6-2 loss in Swift Current.

Playing their first game since a 5-4 loss in Calgary on Sunday, the Tigers were looking to avoid their sixth straight loss on the road in the opener of a home and home series with the Broncos.

After a back and forth opening 10 minutes, the Tigers were caught puck watching with Tyler Steenbergen taking the loose puck and sniping on Michael Bullion for the game’s first goal.

Less than five minutes later, Aleksi Heponiemi dished the puck over to Giorgio Estephan who ripped a one-timer past Bullion near the left face-off dot to make it a 2-0 game for Swift Current.

Medicine Hat’s Elijah Brown was called for tripping shortly after, with the Broncos converting on the ensuing power play off a tip by Beck Malenstyn to increase their lead to 3-0 with 4:25 left in the first.

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The Broncos scored their second power play goal of the period less than two minutes later, as Glenn Gawdin ripped a one-timer similar near the same spot as Estephan’s for his 50th goal of the campaign.

Despite outshooting the Broncos by a 12-10, the Tigers found themselves trailing 4-0 entering the second period.

Medicine Hat’s defensive struggles continued in the middle stanza, allowing Swift Current’s Matteo Gennaro to sneak into the slot and put home a Heponiemi pass for his 36th and a 5-0 lead.

With 7:36 to go in the second, an Artyom Minulin point shot was redirected by Malenstyn for his second of the game in boost the Broncos to a 6-0 lead.

That goal spelled the end of the night for Bullion, allowing six Broncos goals on just 15 shots against for one of his roughest outings of the season.

Rookie backup Kaeden Lane came into the game, seeing his first action with the Tigers since the pre-season and playing his first WHL minutes.

Lane stopped four shots over the remainder of the period, as Medicine Hat was stuck in a 6-0 hole after 40 minutes.

Medicine Hat finally solved Stuart Skinner in the opening minutes of the third, getting on the board courtesy of a flying Ryan Jevne to break the shutout.

Henry Rybinski got his second of the season with 1:40 left, but the buzzer sounded in Swift Current with the Broncos walking away the victors by a 6-2 final.

The Broncos top line of Gawdin, Heponiemi, and Steenberger was outstanding with a combined two goals and eight points, while their second line was nothing to scoff at either as Malenstyn, Estephan, and Gennaro combined for four goals and six points.

Bullion was handed the loss in 32 minutes of action between the pipes, though Lane was solid in his WHL debut after stopping all 19 shots he faced.

Combined with a Lethbridge Hurricanes win on Friday, the Tigers lead in the Central Division has shrunk to just three points with just 13 games to go before playoffs.

Hoping the Canalta Centre will be home sweet home, the Tigers return to Medicine Hat on Saturday night to close out the series against the Broncos.

Opening puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 pm on Saturday.