The Medicine Hat Tigers kicked off their first Memorial Cup campaign in nearly 20 years with a thrilling 5-4 win against the host Rimouski Oceanic on Friday night. In a tightly contested battle, the Western Hockey League champions and the Oceanic traded the lead four times over three action-packed periods. Bryce Pickford led the Tigers’ charge with two crucial goals, while captain Oasiz Wiesblatt orchestrated the offense with three assists, showcasing their dominance in nearly every facet of the game. Despite some questionable officiating calls that seemed influenced by the Quebec setting and a European-style bias, the Tigers emerged victorious in an electrifying showdown.
Minnesota Wild 2024 2nd rounder Ryder Ritchie makes it 1-0 Tigers getting the rebound on a McKenna shot at 13:50 of the first period with the other helper going to captain Oasiz Wiesblatt.–After a cautious opening period, the Tigers broke the deadlock at 13:50. Wiesblatt set up McKenna, whose shot rang off the crossbar, but Ritchie pounced on the rebound and fired home the tournament’s opening goal.
Rimouski ties the game up on the Power Play at 19:40 of the first period when former Victoriaville Tigre Captain Mael Lavigne scores. The assists on the goal went to Alexandre Blais and Maxime Coursel.–With just 20 seconds left in the period, the Océanic capitalized on a power play opportunity, knotting the score. Lavigne slipped past a Medicine Hat defenseman at the edge of the crease, deftly redirecting a precise pass from Alexandre Blais to even things up heading into the first intermission.
Shots on goal in the first period were 15-11 for Medicine Hat
The Oceanic made it 2-1 right when their Power Play ended when Mael St.Denis scored. The assists on the goal went to Alexandre Blais at 10:07 of the second period.–At 10:07, the Océanic surged ahead, igniting the crowd right after a penalty expired. Blais sparked the play by stealing the puck deep in Medicine Hat’s zone and dished it to St-Denis, who fired it past Meneghin’s glove with precision.
Bryce Pickford, the only Tiger with previous Memorial Cup experience scores from the point to tie the game up at 2 at 16:18 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Tanner Molendyk and Oasiz Wiesblatt.–The Tigers would knot things up at 16:18 on the man advantage as Pickford took a pass from Molendyk, moved in and rifled a hard wrister from the right side past Langevin
Rimouski then regains the lead with an utter garbage goal to make it 3-2 while on the Power Play because the Tigers can not count and got a penalty for too many men. Jacob Mathieu scores at 18:26 of the second period. The assists on the goal went to Vegas Knights 2023 3rd rounder Mathieu Cataford and Pier-Olivier Roy.–With Medicine Hat shorthanded due to a too-many-men penalty, the Océanic seized the opportunity to regain the lead. Mathieu Cataford fired a shot from the back of the right faceoff circle, which ricocheted to the slot where Mathieu tipped it in, putting the home team ahead again.
Shots on goal in the second period were 11-7
Bryce Pickford gets his second goal of the night to tie the game up at 3 when he lets one rip from the high circles at 1:08 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Matthew Ward and Hunter St. Martin.–Pickford would draw the Tigers even with his second of the evening just 68 seconds into the period with a wicked wrister from the left faceoff circle on a perfect feed from Mathew Ward.
Gavin McKenna makes it 4-3 on a breakaway sniping it above the blocker at 5:16 of the third period with the assist on the goal going to Oasiz Wiesblatt.-At 5:18, McKenna put Medicine Hat ahead 4-3, smartly reading the play in his defensive zone to break free, then charging in on a breakaway and firing a shot to the blocker side of Langevin.
While on the Power Play Rimouski tied the game up at 4 at 13:04 of the third period when Jonathan Fauchon got his first of the Memorial Cup. The assists on the goal went to Mathieu Cataford and Pier-Olivier Roy.–Given another power-play opportunity, the Océanic capitalized at 13:04 as Fauchon rifled a one-timer off a precise pass from Mathieu Cataford along the goal line.
Hunter St. Martin gives the Tigers the lead at 17:19 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to Tanner Molendyk and Veeti Vaisanen.–St-Martin’s go-ahead tally for the Tigers, a tip on a hard pass from Molendyk while the clubs were playing at four-on-four.
The Oceanic pulled their goalie with about 1:20 remaining. The Oceanic had a chance but it was foiled and cleared and then McKenna and Ritchie seemed like they couldn’t decide who should get the goal and they missed the net.
Shots on goal in the third period were 12-6 for Medicine Hat. The Tigers outshot the Oceanic 38-24 in the game.
Harrison Meneghin made 20 saves on the 24 shots that he faced for the win for the Tigers. For The Oceanic Mathis Langevin made 33 saves on the 38 shots that he faced.
Player of the game was Medicine Hat Tigers Gavin McKenna. As good as he played I would of picked Bryce Pickford and the WHL agrees with me. Guy had 24 points in 18 playoff games.
Attendance in Rimouski was 4512
Next games
The Oceanic are owned by a guy named Alex Tanguay, just not the Tanguay most people are thinking about that played in the NHL for a bunch of seasons. Because when I first seen him on TV I thought it was suppose to be the NHL one and thought he found a magic fountain of youth or something.
