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Wheaties cream Tigers 5-2, tie up series

Mar 28, 2018 | 9:22 PM

DAUPHIN, MB — The Brandon Wheat Kings picked up an early lead and didn’t look back.

Five separate Wheaties players scored their first goals of the series in a 5-2 victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night, squaring up their best-of-seven series at 2-2.

Now down to a best-of-three, Game 5 is set to go Friday night from the Canalta Centre before both teams hit the road back to Dauphin for Game 6 on Saturday.

Dylan Myskiw, making his second straight start in goal for the Wheaties in leu of Logan Thompson’s injury, made 38 saves in the win. Michael Bullion stopped 31 shots in his first start of the playoffs.

Daniel Bucak and Stelio Mattheos each found the twine late in an opening period which saw the Wheat Kings outshoot the Tigers 16-7.

Medicine Hat picked up the pace in the second frame with 17 shots on goal, but Cole Reinhardt helped curb the flurry with the 3-0 tally at the midway mark fo the period.

Josh Williams brought the Tabbies within two with just over three minutes remaining in the second, the rookie’s second of the post-season. But Linden McCorrister regained Brandon’s three-goal lead early in the third to keep the Tigers at bay.

Tigers captain Mark Rassell netted his team-leading fifth playoff marker at the 5:31 mark of the final period, but the Wheat Kings deflected any Tigers opportunity from there on out. Gunnar Wegleitner added to Brandon’s lead with just under 10 minutes to play.

For the first time this series, the Wheat Kings were perfect on the penalty kill, going 5/5 through the game. Medicine Hat successfully killed one of two penalties.

Home ice advantage is living up to it’s name this series, with all four games going the home team’s way. Medicine Hat hopes to continue that trend on Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop in the Gas City.