Tigers start new year on a losing streak

[Tiger Trauma]

Bad start for Tigers
By

Tylan Stephens had a dream night, and the result was a nightmare for the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The 17-year-old Kootenay Ice centre doubled his career WHL goal total with a hat trick and added an assist Tuesday in a 5-3 win over Medicine Hat at the Cranbrook Rec Plex.
Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins was not available for comment by press time.
Less than six minutes after Medicine Hat’s Kevin Undershute scored his first goal in 16 games to tie the score at 2-2 in the second period, Stephens put a long shot past Matt Keetley to restore the lead. His third goal eight minutes later held up as the winner.
Ben Maxwell and Trent Fussi also scored for the Ice (25-10-2-2), which moved to within six points of the Central Division-leading Tabbies (29-12-2-0). Medicine Hat has now lost four of its last five, while the Ice — who have four games in hand on the Tigers —are 4-0-1 in their past five.
Chris Stevens and Tyler Ennis had the other goals for the Tigers, who continue their four-game, five-night road trip tonight in Kelowna (8 p.m., CHAT 94.5 FM).
Matt Keetley stopped 25 shots, but gave up five goals in consecutive games for just the first time in his WHL career.
His Kootenay counterpart, Taylor Dakers, turned aside 22 shots for the win.

NOTES — The Tigers have called up a pair of 2005 bantam draft picks to help on their last long road trip of the season. Shayne Neigum, the cousin of acting captain Derek Dorsett, played three games up with the Bengals prior to the Christmas break and has 16 goals, 24 assists and 110 penalty minutes in 23 games with Swift Current’s Legionnaires midget AAA team. Fellow 16-year-old forward Josh Koper is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. Koper, Medicine Hat’s sixth-round bantam draft pick from 2005, has 11 goals and three assists in 34 games with the Saints (24-10-0-6).

-Medicine Hat News

[Tiger Trauma]

David Schlemko, and tyler swystun both came back, but trevor glass may have taken an injury during the kootenay game.

Sounds like keets had another rough night, giving up the GWG on a shot from near center ice.

Hopefully we get on track soon cause theirs a strech of 10 games coming up vs everett, vancouver, kamloops, brandon,calgary, brandon, lethbridge x2, red deerx2, in which wins may be hard to come by.

But I think once helm, and russel come back, our confidence will go up, and we'll be hard to beat

[CatFan]

with this kind of goaltending. We could have Sidney Crosby in the line-up and it wouldn't matter when your goaltender gives up goals from center ice. Holfeld needs to start a few games until Keetley gets his head on straight!!

[bandwagonboy]

When do the playoffs start again? If they lose on friday against Chiliwack does that mean they don't advance to the next round of the playoffs?

Do you have any idea how incredibly meaningless these games are? Unless they keep losing like this for the next 6 weeks they will get in the playoffs and that is all that matters. They do have depth, they do have talent, they do have all the tools. They didn't go into a funk like this during the regular season last year, they waited until the 3rd round of the playoffs to do it. Which do you prefer? That they light it up against Kelowna or that they wait until April?

How about a little prespective?

[Tiger Trauma]

When do the playoffs start again? If they lose on friday against Chiliwack does that mean they don't advance to the next round of the playoffs?

Do you have any idea how incredibly meaningless these games are? Unless they keep losing like this for the next 6 weeks they will get in the playoffs and that is all that matters. They do have depth, they do have talent, they do have all the tools. They didn't go into a funk like this during the regular season last year, they waited until the 3rd round of the playoffs to do it. Which do you prefer? That they light it up against Kelowna or that they wait until April?

How about a little prespective?

I'm sure if our coach, or players read the first part of your argument they would disagree tenfold.

I'm hoping this losing streak will only benefit us in the future. Knowing that if they dont come to play 100% and as a team every night in the future. A first, or second round exit is a possibility.

I honestly think we've only played one game to our full potential, in the last month and a half.

If you look at the year we went to the memorial cup. Our team dominated alot of games they played in during the second half. And about this time of year was the time where they went on winning 12 out of 13 games.

I think willie made a good move getting sauer, to help us this year(a first or 2nd playoff exit would make the trade look not as good)


With the trade deadline coming up, I'm curuois to see if we make any moves

[bandwagonboy]

I'm sure if our coach, or players read the first part of your argument they would disagree tenfold.

Oh I'm sure they aren't happy with how they've played. You can bet your ass that they are busting theirs to figure out the problems and to end this streak. This is the same core of guys who won the whole damn league last year. They will figure it out. That's why I'm saying the fans should have some perspective, and realize that these loses are not a huge deal. They are coming with almost half a season left to play. It's pretty rare that a team does not go into a funk, so it's great that it's happening now.


I'm hoping this losing streak will only benefit us in the future. Knowing that if they dont come to play 100% and as a team every night in the future. A first, or second round exit is a possibility.

I agree. Remember a month or so ago when they couldn't lose no matter how retarded they played? Well now it's caught up to them. This will be a lesson well taught and well learnt.