Photo Credit: Medicine Hat Tigers

By Gino De Paoli

Tigers beat Broncos in OT

Oct 7, 2023 | 9:00 AM

Swift Current, SK – After two different three goal deficits, the Medicine Hat Tigers found a way to comeback and defeat the Swift Current Broncos 8-7 in overtime Friday night.

The first period got off on the wrong foot for the Tigers as they surrendered three goals in the first period as Jace McFaul scored his first WHL at 2:05, Swift Current would get a power play shortly after and it would be Rylan Gould would re-direct a point shot past starter Evan May (Nanaimo, BC). The Broncos would continue their scoring run getting their third of the period from Brady Birnie at 7:41 getting to a loose puck beating May to make it 3-0.

Medicine Hat would finally respond on a rush in transition as Cayden Lindstrom (Chetwynd, BC) would set-up Gavin McKenna (Whitehorse, YT) for his 2nd of the season to get the roadside on the board at 16:06. But as the Tigers were looking for another in the first on a power play chance, it would Josh Filmon shorthanded beating Evan May for his first of the season and giving the Broncos the 4-1 heading to the 2nd period.

The tides turned for the Tigers in the second period as Andrew Basha (Calgary, AB) would break his three game scoreless streak on a Medicine Hat power play to cut the deficit to 4-2 at 4:34 from McKenna (Whitehorse, YT) & Oasiz Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB).

Exactly five minutes later at 9:34 the Tigers would get another from Basha this time shorthanded as the Tigers would pick up their 3rd short handed goal of the season with Basha’s 4th of the season from Shane Smith (Cessford, AB). The Tigers would tie the game just 2:59 later at 12:33 where captain Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) would jam home the game tying goal at the time with his 3rd of the season and first since opening night. Bogdans Hodass (Jelgava, LAT) & Basha would register assists on the MacKenzie goal.

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After the game was tied up, the Broncos got the lead lead right back at 14:13 on Bronco power play as Connor Hvidston would cut in and beat Evan May to make it 5-4 Swift Current. Exactly 30 seconds later the Broncos would get a bounce on a clearing attempt in the Tigers zone and Rylan Gould would get his 2nd of the game scoring off a Tigers stick to make 6-4 Broncos and they’d hold that lead heading to the 3rd period.

As the third period got underway the Tigers would start with a power play but weren’t able to score as Swift Current would get their second three goal lead as Connor Hvidston would get a power play goal for the Broncos at 4:08.

Cue the Tigers comeback again… Josh Van Mulligen (Medicine Hat, AB) would wrist home his first of the season getting the just 26 seconds later at 4:34 from MacKenzie & Basha. The Tigers 6th of the night and second power play goal of the night would come at 7:30 as McKenna would snap his second of the night and third of the season to make it a 7-6 Bronco lead, from Lindstrom & Wiesblatt. The game tying goal would on yet another power play at 11:19 as Shane Smith would get his team leading 5th goal of the season to draw things even at 7-7 from Brayden Boehm (Nanaimo, BC).

Both the Broncos and Tigers would go end to end on numerous occasions with Swift Current’s Joey Rocha & Tigers goaltender in relief Zach Zahara (Rockyview County, AB) pushing the game to overtime.

In the final 34 seconds of regulation, the Broncos would be on the end of two penalties in the same sequence leading to a 5 on3 for Medicine Hat setting up the eventual winner in overtime.

Gavin McKenna made no mistake shelfing a shot over Rocha at 1:27 in overtime for his first WHL hat-trick and more importantly the fourth win of the season for the Tigers snapping their mini two game losing streak. Oasiz Wiesblatt and Andrew Basha would conclude their nights points on the McKenna winner.

With the win, the Tigers are in still atop the Central Division at 4-1-1, while the Broncos dropped their record to 2-3-1.

Next up for the Tigers, Pink In The Rink night at Co-op Place Saturday, October 7 against the Moose Jaw Warriors.

(Article courtesy Medicine Hat Tigers)