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Tyler Wong launches Hurricanes into Eastern Conference Final with OT winner

Apr 18, 2017 | 10:30 PM

MEDICINE HAT – Going into a game seven, winner-take-all matchup with the Medicine Hat Tigers, the Lethbridge Hurricanes injury depleted roster had little choice but to rest heavily on the shoulders of team captain Tyler Wong… and boy did he deliver.

In a series that featured wild back-and-forth swings in momentum through the first six contests – both from game-to-game and even shift-to-shift – game seven still managed to live up to the hype, with the Hurricanes coming out on top 5-4 in overtime.

It started as most of the others did throughout the series, with the Tigers owning the puck early and scoring first – as Zach Fischer stripped the puck off Stuart Skinner behind the Lethbridge net and tucked it into the yawning cage midway through the opening period.

Instead of deflating them, the Tigers’ goal actually seemed to wake the Hurricanes up.

Just nine seconds later, Alec Baer picked the pocket of a Tigers’ defenceman, raced into the attacking zone and found line-mate Jordy Bellerive in front to even the score. With the momentum firmly on their side, the Hurricanes then pulled ahead 3-1 before the end of the first, with goals from Wong and Egor Babenko.

The second period wasn’t so pretty for Lethbridge.

Once again, the Tigers appeared to be the much faster team as they moved into the middle frame, taking advantage of steady turnovers from the Hurricanes and launching 17 shots on net, compared to just seven for their opponent.

During the shooting-gallery, the Tigers’ Matt Bradley and Mark Rassell scored a pair of goals less than a minute apart to tie things up, before Rassell added his second of the night to retake the lead, 4-3.

With their season hanging in the balance, the Hurricanes came to play in the third.

After a flurry of chances from the visitors, the game came to a halt with only six minutes left on the clock, as the officials had to review what would have been the fifth goal for the Tigers’ on a wrap-around attempt from Mason Shaw. It was ultimately ruled no-goal, keeping the ‘Canes within one.

Two minutes later, Dylan Cozens – the 16-year old centre who was called into action with five Lethbridge regulars out due to injuries – stepped up, burying a loose puck that trickled through the five-hole of Medicine Hat goaltender Michael Bullion, squaring the game 4-4 and sending it to OT.

A penalty to Hurricanes’ defender Brennan Riddle to start the extra period had all the makings of a momentum swing back to the home side, that is, until Wong jumped over the boards for the penalty kill.

Picking up a loose puck deep in his own end while shorthanded, Wong skated up the left wing, cutting to the middle of the ice as he entered the Tigers’ zone. Then, seemingly allowed to walk into the slot, Wong leaned into a wrist shot that raced over the glove of Bullion, scoring his second of the evening and sending his teammates pouring onto the ice to celebrate their second game seven win of this post-season.

Now, things certainly won’t be getting any easier as the ‘Canes move on to the Eastern Conference Final against the Regina Pats – the team that finished first overall in the WHL during the regular season, just ahead of Medicine Hat.

That series gets underway Friday (Apr. 21) in Regina, with the Hurricanes playing their first home game in the best of seven on Apr. 25.