By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Hurricanes bounce back with 5-4 win over the Tigers

Dec 29, 2017 | 10:03 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Fans who took in Friday night’s (Dec. 29) contest between the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers certainly got their money’s worth in a high-scoring affair.

Coming off a 4-2 loss in Medicine Hat on Wednesday, Dec. 27, the Hurricanes rebounded with a 5-4 win in front of their home crowd against their Central Division rivals.

Igor Merezhko opened the scoring for Lethbridge 14 minutes in, converting on a pass from Giorgio Estephan for the only offence of the first period.

Dylan Cozens then extended the lead to 2-0 just over a minute into the second while on the power play, beating Tigers’ goaltender Jordan Hollett for his 11th of the season. Medicine Hat would pull within one three minutes later, but only two minutes after that, Lethbridge regained a two goal edge, this time with Estephan finding the back of the net. With the Tigers pouring on the pressure – and outshooting the ‘Canes 16-7 in the middle frame – they would again cut into the lead, as David Quenneville scored to make it 3-2.

Taking advantage of a Lethbridge penalty early in the third, Medicine Hat tied the score on a bit of a lucky goal from Ryan Chyzowski, who broke his stick on the shot.

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The game wouldn’t stay even for long though, as Hurricanes’ sniper Jordy Bellerive fired home his club leading 19th goal of the campaign five minutes later. A goal from Zane Franklin three minutes after that increased the home team’s lead to 5-3, and while the Tigers would manage one more, they couldn’t solve Lethbridge netminder Reece Klassen in the final moments to force overtime.

The win improves upon the Hurricanes sub .500 record of 16-17-2-0, which, in a relatively weak Central Division, is enough to give them a solid hold on the third playoff position, and has them six points behind the Tigers for top spot. Looking in the rearview mirror, the fourth-place Calgary Hitmen are nine points back of Lethbridge.

They’ll get a chance to add to that cushion Saturday, Dec. 30, as they hit the road for a game in Calgary.