By Scott Roblin

Cubs stymied by 49-save performance from Johnston, Flyers

Jan 20, 2019 | 2:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – For the second straight night the Medicine Hat Travelodge Cubs ran into a brick wall for a goaltender, but this time they couldn’t squeak out a win over a divisional opponent.

The Cubs threw 51 shots against High River netminder Max Johnston on Saturday night, but it wasn’t enough to wipe away a 4-2 loss at the hands of the Flyers at the Kinplex.

High River needed just 79 seconds to light the lamp against the Cubs, as Brennan McPherson launched his 12th goal of the season into the back of the net on the power play.

A response came quickly from Medicine Hat however, with Logan Robertson scoring his second goal in three games to tie up the game at 1-1 just 3:09 into the first period.

Despite outshooting High River 38-19 over the first 40 minutes, the Cubs went into the second intermission tied at 2-2 with the Flyers.

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This after Tristan Stensrud gave the Cubs the lead with his fifth goal of the season with 6:22 left in the second, which was answered by High River’s Joshua Fleck with a shorthanded goal five minutes later.

Medicine Hat piled on 13 more shots over the third period, but it was the Flyers re-taking the lead courtesy of Myles Leckie with 5:45 left in regulation.

Jakob Jefferies added an insurance marker 38 seconds later for High River, stunning the crowd at the Kinplex with a 4-2 win over the Cubs.

Rookie and Medicine Hat native Dawsen Savage made his first start with the Cubs since coming over from the Knights of Columbus AAA Pats, allowing four goals on 29 shots in the loss.

As for Johnston, he recorded his second win of the season against the Cubs with a 49 save showing, the second time that he’s faced over 50 shots against Medicine Hat this year.

While the Cubs fall to a 15-14-3 record with the loss, they remain tied for fourth place in the HJHL’s Southern Division with the Strathmore following a Wheatland Kings overtime loss on Saturday.

Knotted up at 33 points each, the Cubs and Wheatland Kings will face each other in Strathmore to kick off a pivotal home-and-home series on Saturday night at 8:00 pm.