Randy Feere/Medicine Hat Tigers

By Will Bryant

Sports

Tigers best Blazers 5-0, Switzer records second consecutive shutout

Feb 22, 2025 | 10:54 PM

Jordan Switzer stopped all 22 shots he faced en route to his second consecutive shutout, securing the Medicine Hat Tigers a 5-0 victory over the Kamloops Blazers.

After a slow opening four minutes, play quickly opened up when Kamloops Blazers forward Nathan Behm got sprung on a breakaway from his own blue line.

Behm would speed to the high slot of the Tigers’ zone and fire a puck wide of the goal.

The Tigers would counter-attack and make the Blazers pay.

Gavin McKenna fed a pass up for Oasiz Wiesblatt who weaved his way to the side of the Kamloops goal of Dylan Ernst where he centered a pass in front for Hunter St. Martin who had a tap-in for the game’s first goal.

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Six minutes later the Tigers would add another after forcing a turnover in the Blazers zone.

Misha Volotovskii fed a pass to Mathew Ward who one-touched it to Ryder Ritchie who stickhandled the puck into the yawning cage, making it 2-0 Medicine Hat.

The Tigers would carry the lead into the first intermission and would begin the middle frame on the powerplay, with Harrison Brunicke off for hooking.

Despite plenty of pressure and great chances the Tigers would fail to capitalize but would continue to put pressure on the Blazers’ blueline.

Eventually, the Blazers cracked

Kadon McCann would find a loose puck in front of the Kamloops goal and shovel it home for his tenth of the season, making it 3-0 for the Tigers.

Less than a minute later, the Tigers would add a fourth.

Gavin McKenna would weave into the slot and spin a no-look backhand pass onto the tape of Hunter St. Martin’s stick who made no mistake, potting his second of the night and 35th of the season to make it 4-0 Tigers.

Medicine Hat’s offensive outburst wasn’t done.

Moments later, Tigers defenseman Niilopekka Muhonen would crash the Kamloops crease and bat home the puck for his fourth of the season, making it 5-0 Tigers and ending the night early for Blazers netminder Dylan Ernst who got pulled after allowing five goals on 19 shots.

After scoring three goals in under 90 seconds to go up 5-0, the Tigers would keep the pressure on but failed to score to close the second period.

The third period would see more of the same from the Tigers, but Kamloops backup netminder Logan Edmonstone was fantastic in relief, stopping all 25 shots he faced.

Consequently, the Tigers would play to a draw in the third period securing the 5-0 shutout victory.

The shutout is Jordan Switzer’s third shutout of the season and second consecutive blank sheet.

Switzer has now played 149:43 of shutout hockey, dating back to a 3-1 win in Prince Albert.

Back in the win column, the Medicine Hat Tigers (38-17-3-1) head to Edmonton tomorrow night with an opportunity to avenge Friday night’s 5-4 defeat against the Oil Kings (31-20-2-2).

The matchup will conclude the season series between the Tigers and Oil Kings, with Edmonton leading the season series four games to three through seven meetings.