Four first-period goals helped the Medicine Hat Tigers inch closer to a playoff berth with a 6-3 victory over the Kootenay ICE Friday at Canalta Centre.
Forwards Chad Butcher and Steven Owre each put up three-point nights for the Tigers, while forward River Beattie scored twice for the ICE.
Medicine Hat struck first just after the three-minute mark when Butcher deflected a soaring point shot in front of Kootenay netminder Declan Hobbs. The play was called a goal on the ice, and confirmed via video review. Blueliner Ty Schultz added a second Tigers goal 45 seconds later with a snapshot from the right circle.
The ICE struck back while a man down shortly after Schultz’s tally. Beattie snuck in behind the Medicine Hat defense and wristed the puck past Tigers goaltender Nick Schneider at 5:18 to cut the Medicine Hat lead to 2-1. It was Beattie’s first career short-handed goal.
Forward Zach Fischer replied on the same power-play to restore the Tigers lead to 3-1 before Mark Rassell rounded out the first period scoring with a deflection from the slot at 16:13.
Medicine Hat sophomore Mason Shaw extended the hosts’ lead to 5-1 after 40 minutes with his 15th goal of the season, and then early in the third period Tigers captain Ty Stanton converted while alone in front of Hobbs to give his club a five-goal lead.
Kootenay added a pair of goals in the final minutes of regulation time to complete the evening’s offense. Max Patterson tallied his second marker in as many games with a snapshot from the left wing before Beattie added a power-play goal after a nifty individual effort in the Medicine Hat zone.
The Tigers now sit two points back of Edmonton for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with four games to play.
Hobbs made 27 saves for the ICE in goal, while Schneider turned aside 24 shots.
HADDAD FINANCIAL SERVICES 3 STARS:
1. Steven Owre, Medicine Hat
2. Chad Butcher, Medicine Hat
3. Matt Bradley, Medicine Hat
UP NEXT: the two sides meet again Saturday at Western Financial Place. Game time is 7:00 pm.
