By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Tigers force game 7 with 5-2 win over Hurricanes

Apr 16, 2017 | 11:57 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The Medicine Hat Tigers are still very much alive.

Turning in another impressive performance in the series, they forced a seventh and deciding game with the Lethbridge Hurricanes – who also went to seven against Red Deer in the first round – with a convincing 5-2 win Sunday night (Apr. 16) at the Enmax Centre.

Down 3-2 in the series and with their season on the line, the Tigers were the faster team out of the gate, dominating puck possession and outshooting the Hurricanes 8-0 through the first 10 minutes.

Part of that strong start was owed to a 5-on-3 power play just four minutes in, which gave the Tigers an early lead. After struggling to get much through to the net to open the man advantage, Max Gerlach walked in from the point and fired a wrist shot over the glove of Lethbridge goaltender, Stuart Skinner.

Egor Babenko responded four minutes later with a laser of his own over the catcher of Michael Bullion in the Tigers’ net.

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Another two-man-advantage for the Tigers in the first period would again prove costly for the ‘Canes, as Matt Bradley restored the lead for the visitors, just as the first of two penalties expired.

Once again though, Babenko was able to tie the game – this time on a power play goal made possible by a hard cross-ice pass from captain Tyler Wong.

The second period wouldn’t see any scoring, but it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying – especially on the part of the Tigers, who again controlled the pace of play.

A high-sticking penalty to the Hurricanes’ Jaden Joseph early in the third would prove to be the deciding moment in the game, as the Tigers’ power play clicked for their third time on six opportunities, with Steven Owre redirecting a point-shot from Chad Butcher to retake the lead for good.

Bradley scored his second of the night and John Dahlstrom buried another into an empty net to lock-up the victory.

“Tonight, we just didn’t have it,” said Wong after the loss, in a series that has seen both teams look dominant at times and fragile at others. “I don’t know what it is, I feel like we always have these highs and lows, and have one great game and then a bad game the next time. It seems like we’re looking a little bit past some games here, and I think that we just need to have a short-term outlook on what’s coming up next and seize the moment that comes to us.”

After noting some frustration over the officiating – a concern shared by Skinner, who felt the referees were doing little to protect him in his net – Wong stated that despite missing an opportunity to advance to the third round one game early, he’s confident they can still get it done.

“This group’s been through it all, we’ve been through so many highs and lows this year, from the start of the year starting out so slow, and then in Red Deer, being down 3-1 and coming back to win that series. That experience and character we showed, and to overcome that adversity is unreal,” stated Wong.

“I believe in this group, and I believe that we’re gonna be able to come out hard and find a way.”

While neither Wong or head coach Brent Kisio would put too much weight on it, the Hurricanes were forced to play the game without five of their regulars in the line-up, due to various injuries. Ryan Vandervlis joined Calen Addison, Matt Alfaro, Zak Zborosky and Zane Franklin on the shelf.

Game seven will now be played Tuesday night (Apr. 18) in Medicine Hat. The winner will go on to face whoever comes out on top between Swift Current and Regina – who will play a game seven of their own on Monday (Apr. 17) – in the Eastern Conference Final.