Game one between Medicine Hat Tigers and Red Deer Rebels - Photo Courtesy Randy Feere

By Lisa Parent

‘One little mistake can change a whole game’: Tigers regroup going into game five against Rebels

Apr 5, 2024 | 5:55 PM

It’s a fight to survive.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are down 3-1 in the first round playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels.

Wednesday night, a late power play in the third period paved the way for a Rebels game-winning goal with about one second on the clock.

Coach Willie Desjardins admitted that he didn’t anticipate to be down this far in the series.

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“I do appreciate that the young guys are growing and that, but in the end, you need to find ways to win games too,” Desjardins told CHAT News.

“It’s always about getting your guys to play your best. A lot of guys are putting in great efforts, but we can be a little smarter and a little bit more structured.”

The other two wins the Rebels captured in this series were in overtime.

Tigers’ captain Tyler MacKenzie says they need to be sharper with the small details if they want to change their current trajectory.

“I mean, it comes down to six inches. One little mistake can change a whole game,” said MacKenzie.

“They’ve got some bounces, but they’ve earned those bounces. They’ve played hard and obviously there’s things we need to correct and I think we’re going to do that moving forward.”

Ensuring the team approaches game five differently is one of MacKenzie’s jobs as captain.

“We’re not done yet. No one here wants to go home. We still want to play a lot of hockey and we have a lot in us still,” MacKenzie said.

“I think it’s just making sure that that message is passed to the room. You know, knowing that we have each other’s backs through thick and thin in here.”

As another piece of the leadership group, assistant captain Dru Krebs is hoping to support his team in the same way.

But the 21-year-old defenseman also has another thing on his mind—any of these upcoming games could be his very last in junior hockey.

“It can be kind of dreadful, but also a motivation. If you think like, ‘oh, this could be my last game,’ then you are more willing to put everything into every single shift,” said Krebs.

If the Tigers want to move on to the next series, they’ll have to win three games in a row against what Desjardins says is a tough Rebels team.

“They’re gonna have probably their best game tomorrow and we’re gonna have to match it. And hopefully we get a chance down the road to match it again,” said Desjardins.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. Friday at Co-op Place and tickets can be found on the Medicine Hat Tigers website.