Meet the Silvertips’ opponent: Medicine Hat Tigers
Published 3:00 pm Thursday, February 7, 2019
The Medicine Hat Tigers of the Central Division visit Angel of the Winds Arena for a 7:35 p.m. tilt against the Silvertips. It will be Medicine Hat’s only regular season matchup with Everett.
Trend
The Tigers are fresh off of two wins over Kootenay and Brandon, but before that, the Tigers dropped two key divisional games to Moose Jaw. The playoff race in the Central Division is gearing up to be one of the most competitive in the Western Hockey League with five of the six teams separated by just seven points. Medicine Hat currently sits four games back of first-place Edmonton with 62 points, but possess two games in hand on the Oil Kings. The Tigers will undoubtedly be eager to earn points and will play motivated against the Silvertips, who are 4-0-0 against the Central Division this season.
Forward to watch – James Hamblin
Hamblin missed the entirety of the 2018-19 playoffs last season with a wrist injury, but the 19-year-old is back as the Tigers’ No. 1 center and team captain this season. The Edmonton native leads the Tigers with 59 points (28 goals, 31 assists).
Defenseman to watch – Linus Nassen
The overage blueliner was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the third-round of the 2016 NHL draft, but is unsigned, so he has plenty to play for in his final season in the WHL. He’s playing like it, with five goals and a team-high 32 assist for the Tigers this season.
Who’s in net?
The Tigers have primary split the duties in the crease between Senators prospect Jordan Hollett (a sixth-round pick in 2017) and import net minder Mads Sogaard. Hollet owns more minutes between the pipes, with 1606 to Sogaard’s 1312, but the 17-year-old netminder boasts the better numbers, with a 2.33 goals against average and a .930 save percentage compared to Hollet’s 3.44 GAA and .897 percentage.
Draft prospect to watch
Sogaard fits the bill here. The Denmark native is the No. 3 ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting and by TSN.
Tale of the tape (entering Thursday)
Everett Team Medicine Hat
37-12-1-1 Record 29-18-2-2
(76 points, 1st in U.S.) Standing (62 points, 3rd in Central)
4-0-0-0 Streak 2-0-0-0
6-4-0-0 Last 10 7-2-1-0
1st meeting Head to head 1st meeting
22.2 (9th) Power play 23.5 (5th)
84.2 (3rd) Penalty kill 79.3 (11th)
LW Connor Dewar Top skaters C James Hamblin
(35 goals, 35 assists) (28 goals, 33 assists)
RW Bryce Kindopp LW Ryan Jevne
(29 goals, 27 assists) (24 goals, 24 assists)
C Zack Andrusiak D Linus Nassen
(35 goals, 18 assists) (5 goals, 33 assists)
Dustin Wolf No. 1 goalie Mads Sogaard
(33-11-1-0, 1.82, .930) (13-4-2-2, 2.34, .930)
Key injuries/suspensions
Everett: C Riley Sutter (lower body); RW Dawson Butt (upper body)
Medicine Hat: RW Hayden Ostir (lower body); D Joel Craven (lower body)
