Tigers goaltender Garin Bjorklund facing Lethbridge forward Ty Nash on a breakaway in Saturday's 6-3 loss on home ice (Photo courtesy Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers)

By Scott Roblin

Back-to-Back Losses

Tigers falter 6-3 in fourth meeting against Hurricanes

Jan 15, 2022 | 10:53 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Tigers played one of their strongest first periods in recent memory on Saturday night on home ice.

Unfortunately, it was the remaining 40 minutes that ended up biting the Tabbies in their second loss in as many nights 6-3 to the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Lethbridge’s Justin Hall netted a hat-trick while the ‘Canes scored five of the games final six goals to erase a Medicine Hat lead at the first intermission.

Saturday’s loss marked the Tigers’ fourth defeat of the season versus their Highway 3 rivals, and the second game in a row where they’ve allowed six goals against.

Hall made it a 1-0 game for the Hurricanes midway through the first, potting a Nolan Bentham rebound in the crease for his 13th goal of the season.

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Medicine Hat responded in kind however, as Dru Krebs was fed the puck off a hardworking set up from along the boards to rip home his second goal of the year to tie the game.

Corson Hopwo added to Krebs’ marker just 40 seconds later, bringing the puck up ice and scoring his first goal since November 19 to boost the Tigers into the lead 2-1.

Hurricanes co-captain Jett Jones found the equalizer two and a half minutes into the second frame following a wild scramble in the crease and several Garin Bjorklund saves in tight.

That was followed up by a breakaway goal courtesy of Ty Nash under three minutes later to give the Hurricanes the lead again 3-2.

With Medicine Hat pressing late in the second, rookie Andrew Basha was able to tally his first career WHL goal over the glove of Jared Picklyk and tie up the game at 3-3.

Following a fight between Pavel Bocharov and Logan Barlage, the Tigers were handed a late power play to close out the period.

However, it was Lethbridge striking shorthanded with Hall taken down on a breakaway but somehow the puck bounced off his leg and trickled past the goal line with 37 seconds left before the intermission.

The Hurricanes added a goal from Yegor Klavdiev early in the third to make it 5-3, before Hall completed the hat-trick with an empty net goal for his fourth point of the night.

Bjorklund gave up six goals on 31 shots against, while Picklyk came away with the save with a 24-save showing.

Medicine Hat will look to avoid the weekend sweep on Sunday night, hosting the Red Deer Rebels at 6:00 at Co-Op Place.