Young Tigers’ players show growth in face of injuries and looming playoffs

“This is what playoff hockey is. You got lots of games, you might lose one, you got to bounce back the next night and that’s gonna be fun.”

But MacKenzie and the Tigers are coming off two losses against the Swift Current Broncos, the team that’s chasing them down in the central division standings.

Those contests weren’t made any easier with some gaps on the bench, including both Cayden Lindstrom and Brayden Boehm, who have been gone due to injury for months.

More recently, Shane Smith and Oasiz Weisblatt were out of the lineup in the second game against the Broncos.

Head Coach Willie Dejardins said it meant the younger players were forced to step up.

“I was really impressed with our young guys,” Dejardins said.

“They had to match up against some of Swift currents bigger, better players and they did a great job on it,” he added.

“I think it shows for sure the young guys are growing.”

Though Dejardins said the development showed, the results didn’t. That created what captain MacKenzie called a somber locker room after Sunday’s game.

MacKenzie said at Tuesday’s team workout, spirits were high again.

“[The] energy is really good, guys are having fun, we’re loving it, so that’s super important.”

The Broncos and Tigers haven’t seen the last of each other yet. They’ll face-off two more times in regular season and goaltender Zach Zahara calls them must wins.

“They’re a good team we’re going to be facing a lot more down the stretch here. So it’s going to be a big couple of games versus them,” Zahara said.

However, the Tigers will start by focusing on this weekends game against the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Calgary Hitmen, both teams that are fighting to stay in the playoff picture.

“They’re fighting for everything they have and for us, it’s just about being able to play our game,” MacKenzie said.

“I know we want to focus on ourselves and what we need to do. I think If we do that, we should be confident, we should be comfortable in those games.”

The next three games will be played in front of home fans at Co-op Place.

Tickets can be found on the Medicine Hat Tigers website.

by Lisa Parent

Young Tigers’ players show growth in face of injuries and looming playoffs

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