Photo courtesy Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers

By Scott Roblin

3-0 Weekend

Shtrom’s fires first WHL goal in OT, Tigers sweep weekend versus ‘Canes

Mar 28, 2021 | 10:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Oren Shtrom had plenty of looks at the net over his first nine WHL games, but was never able to bury his first career junior goal.

That changed on Sunday evening, tapping home a Cole Clayton pass on a three-on-one in overtime for a memorable game-winner in a 5-4 victory against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Shtrom’s goal capped off a wild and wacky night at Co-Op Place, filled with dozens of defensive breakdowns and strange calls which made for an entertaining evening of hockey.

Medicine Hat’s lethal power play went to work early with Brett Kemp hopping on a rebound 5:23 into regulation, netting the Tigers’ first goal of the night and his second in two games.

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A strange series of events kicked off late in the period however, as Tigers defenceman Cole Clayton was booked for an interference call. He began to argue with the referees and was handed a subsequent misconduct penalty, reported as a game misconduct at that time.

With Clayton heading to the locker room and a man in the box, the Hurricanes were able to even up the score at 1-1 with a Chase Wheatcroft power play goal.

Lethbridge added onto their lead three minutes into the second frame, taking advantage of a giveaway by Aidan Brook with Noah Boyko netting his second goal of the year unassisted.

The following shift, Clayton returned to the ice with the misconduct penalty being completely erased from the game’s record.

Back-to-back snipes from Corson Hopwo and Ryan Chyzowski would follow, re-establishing the Tigers’ lead with under seven minutes remaining in the second.

Just as quickly as Medicine Hat’s lead was gained however, it was taken away just as viciously by a Joe Arntsen point shot that fooled Tigers goalie Garin Bjorklund a little over a minute later to send the game to the intermission tied at 3-3.

Chyzowski needed only eight seconds to score his second of the game following the puck drop on period three, before the pendulum swung back in the Hurricanes’ favour.

Off a turnover in the neutral zone, ‘Canes leading scorer Justin Hall took the puck by himself on a breakaway and fired home his eighth of the season to deadlock the score once again.

Overtime was needed and after some clutch stops by Bjorklund in the Tigers’ zone, Clayton began a three-on-one rush in the extra frame which was finished off by the rookie Shtrom.

Chyzowski and Clayton each had three-point nights in the win, while Bjorklund made 26 stops for his fifth victory of the year.

Hurricanes netminder Carl Tetachuk meanwhile allowed five goals on 32 shots against in his third night of action in a row.

Sweeping their three-game weekend series with Lethbridge and taking home wins in five of their last six, the streaking 7-3-0 Tabbies are now four points back of Edmonton for top spot in the Central Division.

Medicine Hat will embark on another three-game series over the Easter weekend, this time against the Calgary Hitmen beginning on Friday night at home at 7:00 pm.