WHL Playoff Game 4, April 2, 2025. Swift Current Broncos vs Medicine Hat Tigers at the InnovationPLex in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada (Photo by Ed Fonger Photography)

By Will Bryant

Sports

St. Martin scores in OT to give Medicine Hat Tigers Game 4 win

Apr 3, 2025 | 12:26 AM

It’s never about how you start, it’s about how you finish.

That adage proved true for the Medicine Hat Tigers Wednesday night as the team rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to win Game 4 in overtime 5-4.

Swift Current came out of the gates flying to being the game, getting a 1-0 lead 1:24 with a Carlin Dezainde wrist-shot slipping underneath the blocker of Harrison Meneghin.

It was Dezainde’s fourth goal of the series after the former Tiger recorded a hat-trick in Game 3.

The Broncos added another five minutes later on the powerplay when Clark Caswell deflected a point shot past Meneghin to give Swift Current a 2-0 lead.

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Medicine Hat would respond five minutes later with Ryder Ritchie’s thrid of the postseason to shrink the deficit to one.

The Tigers continued to press, but despite three first-period powerplays, they trailed 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Early in the second frame the Tigers tied the game at two.

Gavin McKenna spun a low shot along the ice that Oasiz Wiesblatt deflected past an unsuspecting Reid Dyck to level the game 2-2.

The Cats controlled the second period and didn’t allow a Bronco shot until the 8:30 mark, but Reid Dyck continued to shut the door and keep the game tied.

A late surge in the second period from the Broncos created drama, but nothing more than that and the game entered the second intermission tied at two.

The Tigers’ pressure continued into the third period, but their aggression turned against them three minutes in when Broncos forward Luke Mistelbacher sprung in alone on Meneghin.

Meneghin stood tall and made a fine pad save on Mistlebacher to keep the game tied at two.

The Tigers broke back up ice off the ensuing save on a 3-on-2 rush that led to Gavin McKenna roofing a one-timer past Dyck to give the Tigers their first lead of the night.

Medicine Hat continued to lead 3-2 as the game entered the final five minutes, when momentum began to swing back into the Broncos’ favour.

As time dwindled down Swift Currents leading scorer in the regular season Luke Mistelbacher one-timed his first goal of the playoffs by Meneghin, tying the game at three.

The remaining 1:57 of regulation would solve nothing, and for the first time this postseason, the Tigers would head to overtime.

The overtime frame began 4-on-4 with Hunter St. Martin in the box for the Tigers and Marek Rocak of the Broncos both sitting for roughing.

As the penalties expired, Veet Vaisanen sprung St. Martin on a breakaway as he stepped out of the box.

St. Martin faked the shot on Dyck, cut to his backhand and lifted the puck over his pad to win the game for the Tigers and give Medicine Hat a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Game 5 shifts back to Medicine Hat Friday night at 7:00 pm where the Tigers will have an opportunity to advance to the second round for the first time since 2017.