nivek_wahs
12-31-2007, 09:58 AM
http://www.medicinehatnews.com/stories/localsports/article_8194.php
Tigers surge sinks Broncos
By DARREN STEINKE
Dec 31, 2007, 01:00
The Medicine Hat Tigers won this round in a little bit of a less frantic style.
A day after escaping Swift Current with a 6-5 last second victory over the Broncos, the Tigers built an early 3-0 lead and skated to a 5-2 win in Saturday night’s meeting between the two teams at The Arena.
Overage centre Daine Todd scored on his club’s first two shots of the game, and 19-year-old Swedish rookie Mikael Ahle’n netted his first WHL goal to put the Tigers up 3-0 heading into the first intermission. The goals allowed the Tigers take control of the contest in front of a sellout crowd of 4,006 fans.
“It helped a lot,” said Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins, whose team improved to 22-13-1-1 with the win. “I thought we got a couple of breaks there, and that was a big difference for us.
“All of a sudden, they have to play coming back the whole way. We worked hard to get a couple of breaks.”
Ahle’n’s goal came in only his fifth WHL regular season contest. While on the power play, he corralled a rebound from a Travis Dunstall long-range blast and put a backhand shot by Broncos starting goaltender Travis Yonkman.
“It was just a great feeling,” said Ahle’n. “It helped the team to win the game.
“I don’t know. I lose my mind. I was just so happy, when it happened.”
Yashar Farmanara put the Tigers up 4-0 with his club’s third power-play goal of the game at the 9:46 mark of the second period.
The Broncos then tried to stage a third period rally. Swift Current centre Levi Nelson converted a passing play just 3:06 into the frame. The 19-year-old centre then cashed in his second of the game on a set play off the centre ice faceoff.
On a power play just past the mid point of the third, Broncos captain Zack Smith, who had assists on both Nelson goals, had a huge chance to cut the gap to within one. Taking the puck at the side of the Medicine Hat net, Smith had Tigers goaltender Ryan Holfeld down.
Smith tried to lift the puck high, but Holfeld reached up and made a huge save. Tigers left-winger Tyler Ennis then iced the match with an empty-net goal.
Broncos head coach and general manager Dean Chynoweth felt the Tigers played composed despite his team’s goals in the third. If Smith had scored, Chynoweth said that would helped further change the complexion of the game.
“It might have tightened things up on their standpoint,” said Chynoweth, whose team fell to 18-16-0-5. “To get the third one would have maybe put them back on the heels. We weren’t able to get that, and they continued on.”
Holfeld went the distance in goal for the Tigers turning away 24 shots in the win. Yonkman turned away 18 of 22 shots through the first two periods for Swift Current. Backup Ian Curtis started the third and turned away all nine shots fired his way.
In their first two games back since the Christmas break, the Tigers have converted on 6-of-14 power-play chances. For rearguard Mark Isherwood, he sees the success as a good sign. The Tigers power-play unit has been hovering around a 16th place ranking for most of the season.
“We can win a game with our power play most nights,” said Isherwood, who had two power-play assist Saturday. “It is just really clicking right now.
“I don’t think we changed many things up. We are capitalizing on our chances, and we are getting those bounces we weren’t getting at the start of the year.”
Tigers surge sinks Broncos
By DARREN STEINKE
Dec 31, 2007, 01:00
The Medicine Hat Tigers won this round in a little bit of a less frantic style.
A day after escaping Swift Current with a 6-5 last second victory over the Broncos, the Tigers built an early 3-0 lead and skated to a 5-2 win in Saturday night’s meeting between the two teams at The Arena.
Overage centre Daine Todd scored on his club’s first two shots of the game, and 19-year-old Swedish rookie Mikael Ahle’n netted his first WHL goal to put the Tigers up 3-0 heading into the first intermission. The goals allowed the Tigers take control of the contest in front of a sellout crowd of 4,006 fans.
“It helped a lot,” said Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins, whose team improved to 22-13-1-1 with the win. “I thought we got a couple of breaks there, and that was a big difference for us.
“All of a sudden, they have to play coming back the whole way. We worked hard to get a couple of breaks.”
Ahle’n’s goal came in only his fifth WHL regular season contest. While on the power play, he corralled a rebound from a Travis Dunstall long-range blast and put a backhand shot by Broncos starting goaltender Travis Yonkman.
“It was just a great feeling,” said Ahle’n. “It helped the team to win the game.
“I don’t know. I lose my mind. I was just so happy, when it happened.”
Yashar Farmanara put the Tigers up 4-0 with his club’s third power-play goal of the game at the 9:46 mark of the second period.
The Broncos then tried to stage a third period rally. Swift Current centre Levi Nelson converted a passing play just 3:06 into the frame. The 19-year-old centre then cashed in his second of the game on a set play off the centre ice faceoff.
On a power play just past the mid point of the third, Broncos captain Zack Smith, who had assists on both Nelson goals, had a huge chance to cut the gap to within one. Taking the puck at the side of the Medicine Hat net, Smith had Tigers goaltender Ryan Holfeld down.
Smith tried to lift the puck high, but Holfeld reached up and made a huge save. Tigers left-winger Tyler Ennis then iced the match with an empty-net goal.
Broncos head coach and general manager Dean Chynoweth felt the Tigers played composed despite his team’s goals in the third. If Smith had scored, Chynoweth said that would helped further change the complexion of the game.
“It might have tightened things up on their standpoint,” said Chynoweth, whose team fell to 18-16-0-5. “To get the third one would have maybe put them back on the heels. We weren’t able to get that, and they continued on.”
Holfeld went the distance in goal for the Tigers turning away 24 shots in the win. Yonkman turned away 18 of 22 shots through the first two periods for Swift Current. Backup Ian Curtis started the third and turned away all nine shots fired his way.
In their first two games back since the Christmas break, the Tigers have converted on 6-of-14 power-play chances. For rearguard Mark Isherwood, he sees the success as a good sign. The Tigers power-play unit has been hovering around a 16th place ranking for most of the season.
“We can win a game with our power play most nights,” said Isherwood, who had two power-play assist Saturday. “It is just really clicking right now.
“I don’t think we changed many things up. We are capitalizing on our chances, and we are getting those bounces we weren’t getting at the start of the year.”