Medicine Hat News
Family Day was going perfectly for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Against the top team in the Eastern Conference, and despite continued injury woes, the Tigers were up 3-0 on the Edmonton Oil Kings.
On the road, no less.
But the Oil Kings summoned a late push, including a game-tying goal in the final minute, and eventually won 5-4 in a shootout Monday.
Tristan Jarry, a 16-year-old backup goaltender, relieved starter Laurent Broissoit and later turned aside Tigers snipers Curtis Valk and Emerson Etem in the shootout. Medicine Hat’s Kenny Cameron, starting his fourth game in a row after five previously all season, had another strong outing but was beat by Tyler Maxwell and Martin Gernat to suffer the loss.
It was a bittersweet finish to what started as a strong outing for the Tigers, who had first-period goals from Valk, James Bettauer and Patrik Parkkonen in the first 10 minutes to chase Broissoit. Valk was back in the lineup after missing five games with what the team described as an illness.
Brendan Hurley was also back after serving a six-game suspension. But Hunter Shinkaruk, Kale Kessy and starting goalie Tyler Bunz remained out, all with upper body injuries.
Michael St. Croix spurred the comeback, getting a late second period goal that was the first Cameron had given up in 106:29 of action, dating back to the final period of a 6-0 loss at Moose Jaw Friday night. Then T.J. Foster and Mark Pysyk scored in the third to tie the game.
Emerson Etem responded with his 52nd goal of the year late in the third, but with 37 seconds remaining Dylan Wruck forced overtime.
Cameron finished with 36 saves on the night, while Jerry had 16. Edmonton (39-14-3-4) clinched the season series between the teams, now 3-0-0-1 head-to-head.
Medicine Hat (36-20-2-3) visits Calgary on Wednesday.