Photo courtesy of Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers

By Scott Roblin

Crowned by Oil Kings

Tigers end first half on a sour note blown out at home 7-1 by Oil Kings

Dec 15, 2019 | 11:46 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It took less than two minutes, but the Edmonton Oil Kings wasted no time in imposing their will over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the home side’s final game before the holiday break.

In the span of 1:55 early in the first period the Oil Kings potted three goals while former Tiger Josh Williams had a four-point night against his former team in a 7-1 Edmonton victory.

Medicine Hat’s defence struggled to contain Edmonton’s high-powered attack, allowing back-to-back breakaway goals from Dylan Guenther and Matthew Robertson just eight seconds apart.

Scott Atkinson made it a 3-0 game for the Oil Kings less than two minutes later, picking off a pass by Medicine Hat’s Parker Gavlas and skating past a falling Daniel Baker for a breakaway goal of his own 4:20 into the game.

The lone bright spot of the evening came 7:38 into the first period with Dru Krebs netting his third goal of the season to cut the Edmonton lead to 3-1, a score that held until the midway mark of the second.

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Atkinson was able to net his second goal of the night off a rush with David Kope, finishing off a saucer pass beating Garin Bjorklund for his team’s fourth goal of the contest.

As for Williams, he was able to get some revenge against his former club with a pair of fortuitous bounces just 35 seconds apart near the midway point of the third period to make it a 6-1 game for Edmonton.

A Carter Souch power play goal with 6:08 left in regulation would serve as the final chapter for the Oil Kings, who stretched their points streak to eight consecutive games with the victory over Edmonton.

Bjorklund’s night in the Tigers crease ended with seven goals allowed on 31 shots, while Sebastian Cossa stopped all but one shot for a 28-save performance.

Losing back-to-back games for the first time since late October, the Tigers finish the first half of the WHL season with a 22-10-1-0 record and are tied with the Lethbridge Hurricanes for second in their division.

Off for close to two weeks, Medicine Hat players will return to action on December 27 when they pay a visit to the Swift Current Broncos.