Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers

By Will Bryant

Sports

Tigers fall 5-4 in overtime to the Raiders, losing streak extends to three

Feb 9, 2025 | 12:30 AM

Despite a third-period comeback, the Medicine Hat Tigers would fall in overtime to the Prince Albert Raiders 5-4, extending the club’s losing streak to three games.

It was a matchup between the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference Saturday night inside Co-op Place and the first of two meetings within a week between the teams.

The Tigers had taken the first two matchups of the year 3-2 and 7-4 and aimed to make it three in a row Saturday night.

The game would start with the Tigers getting an early powerplay just 17 seconds into the hockey game but would fail to capitalize.

Halfway into the frame, the Raiders would strike.

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It would be the former Medicine Hat Tiger forward Tomas Mrsic who stole a puck inside his own blueline and drove into the Tigers zone on a breakaway.

Mrsic would deke to the backhand and beat Tigers netminder Harrison Meneghin to get the game’s first goal, and the Raiders in front 1-0.

Thirty seconds later, the Tigers would answer right back.

Liam Ruck would find a rebound off a Max Hildebrand save and tuck the puck into the open net to square the game at one.

Late in the period, the Raiders would head to their first powerplay and needed only 13 seconds to retake the one-goal lead.

A Lukas Dragacevic point shot floated to the front of the Tiger goal and Niall Crocker tipped it past Meneghin to get the Raiders in front 2-1 entering the intermission.

Moments into the second period, the Tigers would head to the powerplay and like Prince Albert, would not take long to respond, only needing nine seconds to strike.

Former Prince Albert Raider Ryder Ritchie would deflect a Tanner Molendyk point shot past Raiders netminder Max Hildebrand to square the game even at two.

The Tigers’ strong play would continue seven minutes later when a rolling puck found the tape of Misha Volotovskii who one-time it past Hildebrand to give the Tigers their first lead of the night 3-2.

Medicine Hat appeared in control and looked as though they would carry the lead into the second intermission, but in the final two minutes, the Raiders would turn the tables on the Tabbies.

Tigers defenseman Tyson Moss would head to the penalty box for a hold, and on the ensuing powerplay Niall Crocker would put a puck between the pads of Harrison Meneghin to tie the game at three for the Raiders.

However, the Raiders were not done.

Thirty seconds later the Raiders Aider Oiring would lead a 2-on-1 into the Tigers zone and fire a pass across to Rilen Kovacevic who would beat Meneghin blocker side to restore the Raider lead in the final minute of the second period as they led 4-3 through forty minutes.

The third period would begin with the Tigers heading to the penalty box.

Hunter St. Martin would head off for a trip but the Tigers would be able to kill it off and begin to rally.

The rally would climax with just under six minutes left when Mathew Ward found a loose puck at the side of the Raiders’ net and was able to bank the puck in to tie the game at four.

The game would head into the final minute tied at four, and with 13 seconds left Tigers forward Mathew Ward would catch Raiders defenseman Lukas Dragacevic with a high stick to send the Tigers to the penalty kill.

The Tigers would kill off the 13 seconds in regulation to earn a point and force the game to overtime.

The Raiders would begin the extra frame with 1:47 of powerplay time, but only needed 44 seconds of it to end the game.

Prince Albert would work the puck to the point Dragacevic who drew the penalty, would end the game, wiring a slapshot passed a screened Harrison Meneghin to win the game 5-4 for the Raiders.

The loss marks the Tigers’ first three-game losing streak since November 8th.

Medicine Hat will have an opportunity to avenge the defeat this coming Wednesday when they head to Prince Albert to take on the Raiders in the final meeting of the regular season.

Before that, the Medicine Hat Tigers (33-16-3-1) are back in action Tuesday night when they take on the Saskatoon Blades (27-16-3-3).

The game marks the return of Tanner Molendyk and Misha Volotovskii to Saskatoon for the first time since being acquired by the Tigers ahead of the trade deadline last month.