By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Hurricanes come from behind to even series with Tigers

Apr 8, 2017 | 11:19 PM

MEDICINE HAT – It looks like we have a series after all.

Coming off an embarrassing 4-0 drubbing in game one at the hands of the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday night (Apr.7), the Lethbridge Hurricanes evened the series at a game-apiece with a 7-4 win on Saturday (Apr. 8), thanks in no small part to Giorgio Estephan.

It wasn’t a pretty start for the ‘Canes, as the Tigers once again flew out of the gate, scoring two goals before the game was even three minutes old – both coming from Zach Fischer.

Estephan would finally breakthrough for Lethbridge at the 8:16 mark of the first period, taking advantage of a turnover in the neutral zone, and firing a shot over the blocker of Tigers’ netminder Michael Bullion while on a two-on-one.

Before the excitement could even start to subside, Alec Baer knotted the score at 2-2, once again putting a shot over Bullion’s blocker on another odd-man rush, just 27-seconds later.

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Medicine Hat would then retake the lead two minutes after that on a power play goal from Ryan Jevne.

Going into the first intermission tied 3-3, the period was a dramatic improvement for the Hurricanes, as they registered 15-shots on goal in the frame, just one less than they put on net in all of game one.

The Tigers seemed to regain the momentum to open the second, but another turnover inside their blueline, allowed Lethbridge captain Tyler Wong to walk in and snipe his sixth of the playoffs, going high-glove.

The two teams proceeded to trade goals, including one from 16-year old Lethbridge call-up, Dylan Cozens, who was filling in for the injured Zak Zborosky.

Before ending the second period, the bad blood between the division rivals boiled over, as Canes’ grinder Zane Franklin dropped the gloves with Fischer, after taking a high hit from the Tigers’ forward just a few minutes earlier.

The third period got underway with a noticeable uptick in tempo, as both teams traded chances early.

It would ultimately be decided on a too-many men call on Medicine Hat, as Estephan scored his second of the night on the power play, burying his own rebound and giving the Hurricanes their first lead of the series. It also happened to be the first time in this post-season run that the Tigers’ fell behind in a game, after sweeping the Brandon Wheat Kings in the first round.

Estephan completed his hat-trick with a shorthanded, empty-net goal, and Tanner Nagel added another 40 seconds later, sealing the victory and tying the series 1-1.

For the second straight night, the Hurricanes’ penalty kill was solid – going 4/5 – with crucial blocked shots from Nagel, Kyle Yewchuk and Brady Pouteau, among others.

Game three will go Tuesday night (Apr. 11) in Lethbridge.