Photo courtesy of Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL

By Scott Roblin

Captain Clutch

Hamblin’s four-goal night guides Tigers to fourth straight win

Jan 18, 2020 | 11:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – When the Medicine Hat Tigers’ skills competition wrapped up on Thursday night, captain James Hamblin wore a last place finish for his team.

On Saturday, he took out that frustration on the Lethbridge Hurricanes with a career-high four goal performance in a 6-2 stomping of their rivals from down Highway 3.

Hamblin brought the Canalta Centre crowd to their feet with a natural hat-trick before the buzzer sounded to end the first period, before tacking on another goal early in the third for the career evening.

The first of his goals came just 12 seconds after puck drop, banging home a rebound into a wide open Lethbridge cage for his 24th goal of the season and an early 1-0 Tigers lead.

Less than four minutes later, Lukas Svejkovsky set up Hamblin with a beautiful pass from below the red line for a one-timer from the right face-off circle to double Medicine Hat’s lead.

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Hamblin completed the hat-trick in the final minute of the frame, taking advantage of a blown tire by Hurricanes defender Alex Cotton and sniping on a shorthanded breakaway for his third of the night.

That goal spelled the end of the night for Hurricanes netminder Carl Tetachuk, who was pulled for Bryan Thomson after allowing three goals on 11 shots.

Following a 13-save first period, Tigers netminder Garin Bjorklund was finally solved seven minutes into the second by Team Canada gold medallist Dylan Cozens on the doorstep.

Medicine Hat was able to regain their two-goal lead just a few minutes later though, as Dylan Plouffe netted his eighth of the season on the power play to make it a 4-1 game after 40 minutes.

Hamblin needed just two minutes to pot his fourth goal of the night in the third period, however Lethbridge’s Justin Hall answered shortly after with a one-timer from the top of the circle.

Any hope of a Hurricanes comeback was silenced with 11 minutes remaining in regulation, with Ryan Chyzowski picking up his sixth point in his last two games with his 21st goal of the season to seal it for the Tigers.

Along with Hamblin’s historic night, a number of Tigers registered multi-point efforts including Chyzowski, Plouffe, Svejkovsky, and Corson Hopwo.

Bjorklund improved his record to 15-3-0-0 on the season with 26 saves on 28 shots, while Thomson allowed three goals on 23 shots in relief of Tetachuk.

Picking up their fourth win in a row, the streaking Tigers passed Lethbridge for second place in the Central Division with a 29-12-1-1 record and sit seven points behind Edmonton for first.

Medicine Hat will face those very Oil Kings on Sunday afternoon, paying a visit to Rogers Place in a key divisional meeting beginning at 4:00 pm.