Wyatt Hoflin made a career-high 56 saves as the Kootenay ICE defeated the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-3 Saturday at Western Financial Place.

Kootenay got goals from four different skaters, with Max Patterson’s second period tally standing up as the game-winner.

The ICE opened the scoring 1:03 into the first period when forward River Beattie jumped towards the net from the right corner, slipping a backhand shot short side on Tigers netminder Nick Schneider.

Kootenay extended their lead seven minutes later on the power-play through a snapshot from defenseman Cale Fleury, then went up 3-0 at 15:13 when leading scorer Zak Zborosky took the puck to the net after sneaking past the Tigers defense on the right wing.

Mason Shaw re-directed a slap-pass at the tail end of a Medicine Hat power-play to put the visitors on the board with 30 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

Hoflin mades several spectacular saves Saturday, the most emphatic of which came on a two-man breakaway eight and a half minutes into the second period. After a defenseman slipped and fell at centre-ice, Tigers forwards Steven Owre and Chad Butcher broke in alone. Hofln slid across his crease to deny Butcher on the doorstep with a stellar left pad save. On the ensuing rush, the ICE extended their lead when Patterson found a loose puck at the bottom of the left circle, roofing a snapshot over Schneider’s right shoulder.

Rookie forward Max Gerlach cut into the Kootenay lead three minutes later with his 30th goal of the season, as the ICE held a 4-2 advantage through two periods.

The Tigers cut the deficit to 4-3 with 7:31 remaining in the third period on a seeing-eye wrister from blueliner Clayton Kirichenko. Hoflin shut the door the rest of the way, however, despite Medicine Hat enjoying a power-play for the final four minutes of regulation time after Zborosky was booked with a double-minor for high-sticking.

The ICE scored on their lone power-play, while Medicine Hat went 0-7.

Patterson scored for the third consecutive game, while Beattie finished the home-and-home series with three markers.

HADDAD FINANCIAL SERVICES 3 STARS:
1. Wyatt Hoflin, Kootenay
2. River Beattie, Kootenay
3. Max Gerlach, Medicine Hat

UP NEXT: the ICE host the Edmonton Oil Kings Tuesday night. Game time is 7:00 pm.