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By Scott Roblin

Tigers Blanked

Bjorklund’s 40-save night not enough to power Tigers offence in 2-0 loss

Feb 23, 2022 | 9:46 PM

REGINA, SK – Garin Bjorklund put together one of the best games of his WHL career on Wednesday night for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

But at the other end of the ice, it was another quiet evening on offence as the Tigers were blanked 2-0 by the Regina Pats.

Bjorklund was lights out in the loss for Medicine Hat stopping 40 of 41 shots he faced, including a number of breakaway chances however the club’s scoring slump proved to be the difference.

Failing to find the back of the net against the Pats on Wednesday, the Tigers have now scored just two goals over their last 10 periods of hockey and have dropped eight games in a row.

Outshot 13-2 over the opening period of play, Bjorklund held the fort with several key stops on Regina superstar Connor Bedard to keep the game scoreless.

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That outstanding play continued to the second, where the Grande Prairie goalie upped his game even more with some highlight-reel stops to head to the second intermission tied at 0-0.

Medicine Hat’s lines did see some major changes as the game went on however, as forward Brendan Lee suffered a lower-body injury to his left leg and did not return.

Midway through the third still tied, the Tigers ran into some penalty troubles and Regina was finally able to break through with a Ryker Evans shot from the point for the go-ahead goal on the power play.

The Tigers were able to kill off two more big penalties late and pulled Bjorklund for the extra skater, but Bedard extended his goal streak to seven games with an empty-net marker to seal the win for the Pats.

In just his fourth career WHL game, Regina starter Kelton Pyne stopped all 21 shots he saw to earn his second shutout in in three games.

Medicine Hat’s next crack at ending the slide and their scoring woes will come on Friday night back at Co-Op Place as they play host to the powerhouse Winnipeg ICE at 7:00 pm.