By Scott Roblin

Tigers eliminated from WHL playoffs in Game 6 overtime loss

Apr 1, 2018 | 9:25 PM

DAUPHIN, MB – Another heartbreaking final chapter for the Medicine Hat Tigers, seeing their season ended with an overtime dagger for the second straight year.

Linden McCorrister scored his second goal of the night 10:37 into overtime on Sunday, sealing a 4-3 win for the Brandon Wheat Kings in Game 6 of their series with Medicine Hat.

It was a similar script to Friday’s Game 4, as the Tigers built up a lead in the second period and saw the game slip from their grasp over the final 30 minutes of regulation.

Playing in his final game in a Tigers sweater, captain Mark Rassell left quite the final impression by scoring all three of Medicine Hat’s goals in the loss.

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

Rassell potted the opening goal of the night, splitting the defence less than four minutes into the game and scoring his sixth of the post-season.

Brandon was close to tying the game at 1-1 late in the period with an open cage, but David Quenneville fell to the ice and stopped a Wheat Kings chance with his pants.

The Wheat Kings outshot the Tigers for most of the first half but Medicine Hat doubled their lead to 2-0 with 9:50 left in the second, as Rassell put home a rebound for his second of the game.

Just over a minute later, Medicine Hat’s Baxter Anderson and Brandon’s Zach Wytinck dropped the mitts for a brief, but spirited scrap.

That fight seemed to energize the Wheat Kings with Ty Lewis feeding Stelio Mattheos in the slot, who sniped his third of the playoffs to cut Medicine Hat’s lead to 2-1.

In the final five minutes of the second, Quenneville was caught on a pinch and the Wheat Kings took advantage with a two-on-one opportunity.

Evan Weinger elected to keep the puck, sniping on Jordan Hollett to tie the game at 2-2 late in the period.

Rassell completed the hat-trick only 34 seconds into the third period, launching a loose puck into the back of the net to once again put the Tigers into the lead.

The back-and-forth action continued just past the midway mark of the third, as McCorrister picked up a Weinger feed in front of the net and netted the game-tying goal with 8:09 left in the period.

Both sides were locked at 3-3 after regulation, which meant overtime for the first time in the series.

Despite Medicine Hat outshooting the Wheat Kings 53-37 over three periods, the Wheat Kings controlled overtime with plenty of sustained pressure and nine shots.

The dam finally broke just past the midway point of the extra period, as McCorrister tipped a Braden Schneider shot past Hollett to clinch the series for the ‘Wheaties.’

Brandon goaltender Dylan Myskiw was named the game’s first star with a 52-save performance, winning his fourth straight game since taking over the crease from Logan Thompson in Game 2.

Along with Rassell playing his final game for Medicine Hat, it was also the last appearance for overagers Kristians Rubins and Michael Bullion.

Rubins finishes his WHL career with 10 goals and 51 points in 109 regular season games, while Bullion posted a 45-31-5 record, a 3.27 goals against, and an 0.892 save percentage in 89 games split between Medicine Hat and Portland.

As for Rassell, he leaves Medicine Hat with 275 games played (tied for 17th in team history), 104 goals, and 182 points.

The Wheat Kings will now advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they will match up against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.