Red Deer Rebels forward Frantisek Formanek (right) taking a wrist shot in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers at Co-Op Place (Photo courtesy Randy Feere / Medicine Hat Tigers)

By Scott Roblin

Tigers Fall 6-2

Early four-goal deficit buries Tigers, dropping both weekend games to Rebels

Mar 12, 2022 | 10:54 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Digging themselves into a 4-0 hole after 20 minutes of play, the Medicine Hat Tigers were upended for the second straight night by the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday.

Red Deer dominated the first period at Co-Op Place in the back half of the weekend home-and-home set, eventually rolling to a 6-2 win over the Tigers to sweep the series.

While the Tigers improved over the final two periods, it was an uphill climb for Medicine Hat which began with a power play tipped goal from Talon Brigley just 7:50 into the game for the Rebels.

Midway through the first, they extended their lead to 2-0 with Christoffer Sedoff opening up some space to sail a shot through a sea of bodies in front of the net.

The Tigers’ struggles in their own zone continued with under six minutes to play in the frame, as a turnover behind their net was thrown in front to a wide open Ben King who netted his 45th goal of the season for the three-goal lead.

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Medicine Hat’s penchant for allowing late period goals continued on Saturday as well, with Dallon Melin tipping a point shot from Jace Weir past Garin Bjorklund with less than two seconds before the intermission to make it a 4-0 game.

Out of the break, the Tigers were able to respond with Teague Patton forcing a turnover and setting up Tyler MacKenzie for the 4-1 goal and his third point in four games since returning from injury to get the home side on the board.

Despite putting more pressure on Rebels netminder Chase Coward, the Tigers would allow another late period marker from Jace Isley who capitalized on a turnover and ripped a shot with 1:41 left in the second to restore the four-goal lead.

Just before the midway mark of the third, the Tigers lost defenceman Gleb Ivanov for the remainder of the night as he was given a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for an elbow thrown on Rebels forward Frantisek Formanek.

Medicine Hat was able to kill off the entirety of the major, but Red Deer added another goal late from Kalan Lind off Bains’ third helper of the night.

A moment of brightness on an otherwise frustrating night for the Tigers came in the final 10 seconds of the game, as local product Josh Van Mulligen netted his first goal in the Western Hockey League with a shot from the blue line in front of friends and family.

Bjorklund was tagged with the loss with 29 saves on 35 shots against, while Coward had 22 saves in the Rebels net.

The Tigers, who have lost three straight, will be back at home on Tuesday night when they welcome Connor Bedard and the Regina Pats to town for the final time this season at 7:00 pm.