By Mitch Bach

Tigers manhandle Oil Kings 5-0, take 2-1 series lead

Mar 26, 2019 | 9:36 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — At just 15-years-old, Cole Sillinger has often been commended for his ability to create offense at the WHL level.

Those bold claims were reinforced on Tuesday night in Sillinger’s first playoff game at the Canalta Centre of his career.

The 2018 first-round draft pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers scored his first career WHL goal — the eventual game-winner — as the Tabbies topped the Edmonton Oil Kings 5-0.

Medicine Hat now leads its best-of-seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series 2-1. They’ll host the Oil Kings in Game 4 on Wednesday night, in hopes of taking a commanding 3-1 lead into Edmonton on Friday.

Mads Søgaard stopped all 32 shots he faced, including a penalty shot awarded to Vince Loschiavo in the third period, to record his first career playoff shutout. Defenceman Linus Nassen and forward Logan Christensen each pitched in with a pair of assists.

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Edmonton’s Dylan Myskiw allowed four goals on 23 shots before Todd Scott took over and turned aside 10 of 11 shots.

Called up less than a week ago from the Midget AAA ranks in Saskatchewan, Sillinger deked out an Oil Kings defender to leave himself all alone to the blocker side of Dylan Myskiw. The Regina-product found a small hole underneath the glove of the veteran net-minder sending the Canalta Centre crowd into a frenzy.

Sillinger’s first-period goal highlighted what was a ferocious and physical game from start to finish. The two teams combined for 60 penalty minutes in total.

Tempers boiled over just eight minutes into the game with Bryan Lockner and Parker Gavlas dropping the gloves. The 6’0”, 193-lbs Lockner got the upper-hand, landing several hard punches on Gavlas who fell to his knees before the linesmen broke it up.

The alternate captain wasn’t done there, tangoing with David Kope later in the third period. Lockner got the upper hand a second time, and followed up by giving the Oil Kings bench an ear-full. He was given a 10-minute misconduct to go with a five-minute major for fighting along with a high-sticking minor. Kope received a minor slashing call along with a five-minute major for fighting.

Lockner chalked up 22 of the Tigers 32 penalty minutes.

Mads Søgaard’s best save of the night came midway through the second period. The towering net-minder rung a clearing attempt around the boards from behind his own net. An Oil Kings defender corralled the puck at the point, one-timing it into what appeared to be an empty net. With a last-ditch superman dive, Søgaard made a highlight reel glove stop to keep the Oil Kings off the board.

Moments later, James Hamblin came through with a highlight move of his own. The Tigers captain flicked the puck over the head of Edmonton captain Trey Fix-Wolansky on a short-handed break-out. Fix-Wolansky lost his footing, giving Hamblin plenty of time to deke to his back-hand on Myskiw and find the top-shelf.

Elijah Brown increased the Tigers lead to 3-0 at the 12:53 mark of the second period with his first of the playoffs. Defenceman Erik Van Impe recorded the lone assist on Brown’s goal, serving as his first career playoff point.

Ryan Chyzowski joined the Tigers scoring parade with a creative individual effort 1:55 into the third. Myskiw stopped Chyzowski’s high shot with his shoulder, but the Tigers alternate captain gathered his own rebound and shoveled a blind-side back-hand between Myskiw’s legs.

Hayden Ostir finished off the scoring fiasco for the home team by ripping a low wrist shot glove-side past Scott.

Game 4 from the Canalta Centre is set for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night. A victory for the Tigers would put the Oil Kings on the brink of elimination in Game 5 on Friday.