TIGERS SHUTOUT REBELS
WHL GAME SUMMARY – TIGERS WEBTV HILITES
The Tigers took Game 1 with a dominating performance on the offensive and defensive end. The Rebels’ home ice advantage didn’t seem to help them in the game and they hoped to change that in Game 2. If they couldn’t right their ship they risked the threat of heading back to Medicine Hat down by two.
The Rebels came out strong, outshooting the Tigers 12-4 in the first frame. Tyler Bunz and the Tiger defence did a great job to keep the Rebels off the scoreboard. Even though the Tigers only had 4 shots they still managed to score one goal before the end of the period. Hunter Shinkaruk scored his fourth of the playoffs with 3:47 remaining. Cole Grbavac found Shinkaruk at the side of the net and he beat Darcy Kuemper from a sharp angle to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
The Tigers turned the tables and outshot the Rebels in the second period 12-8. The extra shots paid dividends for the Tigers as they scored three goals in the frame. Cole Grbavac, Linden Vey, and Emerson Etem all scored for the Tigers in the period. At the conclusion of the game Vey was leading the playoff scoring race and Etem and Grbavac were two and three, respectively. The Rebels were once again held scoreless in the period. The Tigers entered the second intermission with a four goal lead.
Cole Grbavac put another goal on the board just 1:02 into the period. The goal was another blow to the hopes of the Rebels and their fans of a comeback. The Rebels continued to battle hard though and again outshot the Tigers 13-5. Tyler Bunz continued to play a fantastic game stopping every shot that can his way. With the win the Tigers now head back to Medicine Hat with a commanding 2-0 lead in the series after outscoring Red Deer 14-1 in the first two games on the road.
Tyler Bunz has been fantastic so far in the series. Bunz shutout the Rebels’ attack, stopping all 33 shots that he faced in the game. The shutout was his first of the playoffs and the fourth of the season.
Three Stars of the Game:
1) Tyler Bunz – Medicine Hat Tigers
2) Cole Grbavac – Medicine Hat Tigers
3) Linden Vey – Medicine Hat Tigers
The Tigers now face the Red Deer Rebels on Tuesday, April 12th in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Final. Game time is 7:00 PM (MST) and can be heard live on CHAT 94.5 FM at tigershockey.com or watched via webcast at livestream.whl.ca.
