Tigers Defeat Chiefs 4-3

Pre Game
Spokane honored their billets families at center ice with each family taking a picture with their billet players. Really Nice gesture by them

Lanigan gets the start
Spokane has some injury troubles as their game roster is short 2 players.

First Period
The only goal of the period came of a bad turnover by Derek Ryckman. Mike Aviani stripped Ryckman of the puck and found a streaking Todd Fidler coming into the zone. Fidler ( a former Tiger) buried a shot stick side past Cam Lanigan. 1-0 Spokane

Spokane generated a lot of momentum off that goal and started turning on the jets late in the period.

Shots 16-16

I thought the Tigers won that period. They had quite a few scoring chances and at one point were outshooting spokane by a wide margin. Cam Lanigan had to make a number of high quality saves late in the period as Spokane turned on the jets.

Elgin Pearce seems to have a few rivalries with spokane as he is chirping and giving people shots after the whistle.


2nd Period
A deflected shot went down the back of Cam Lanigan and right across the goal-line where Zach Hodder scooped up the puck and fed it it Boston Leier. Leier had a step on the defender and layed into a wrist shot from the top of the circle. The shot beat Spokane Goaltender Garret Hughson top shelf Blocker Side. 1-1 TIE

on a 3 on 3 rush up the Ice, Spokane wasn't paying attention to Hunter Shinkaruk on the far side. Boston Leier fed Shinkaruk the puck and Shinkaruk took a hard low shot blocker side which beat Garret Hughson for a 2-1 Tiger Lead

After that the Tigers had 2 consecutive very weak calls go against them. A spokane player dived ahead to whack a shot on goal and Trevor Cox got called for interference, Derek Ryckman took a guy up against the boards pretty gently to pin him and the player fell over and they gave Ryckman a boarding penalty.

Spokane outshot the Tigers 20-7.

Every shot the Tigers had was a very high quality chance. (Ryckman had a mini-breakaway and made a nice move but was denied by an amazing save. Leier hit the post on a backhand, their were a couple 2 on 1's as well)
Spokane was firing everything on net from all over the place, and the Tigers blocked 4 straight shots on the penalty kill when Spokane was putting on some high pressure.

3rd Period
Another Barn-Burner third period

Spokane tied the game 8 seconds into the period. Todd Fidler broke into the Tigers zone after Tyler Lewington lost a tire. Fidler on the breakaway beat Lanigan high Blocker Side. 2-2 TIE

Two Minutes later the Tigers would take the lead. Ty Stanton fed Jake Doty near center ice. Doty made a chip pass out to Trevor Cox for a 2 on 1. Cox fed Miles Koules on a mini breakaway and Koules made a small Deke to the far side beating Garret Hughson 3-2 Tigers

Spokane would tie the game up 11 seconds later on a very similar play to the Tigers last goal. Blake Gal fired a shot in on the far side. 3-3 TIE

A good read by Cam Lanigan would send Curtis Valk on a breakaway. Off a bad change Lanigan fired a shot up to Valk who on the breakaway beat Garret Hughson Stickside. 4-3 Tigers

Spokane pulled their goalie with 2 minutes remaining.  Curtis Valk hit the post and another TIger chipped the puck over the night on the empty net. Spokane then had tons of pressure, hit a post, and Lanigan made numerous saves to give the Tigers a win.

Spokane outshot the Tigers 58-31.

Thoughts
Two intense barn-burner third periods on the road, and the Tigers come up the victors. Spokane was firing shots on net anytime they entered the zone. Lanigan did make a bunch of high quality stops including a game saver in the dieing seconds. Not only did he play phenomenal in net, Lanigan had a game winning assist on the Tigers go-ahead goal. Again the Tigers goals were scored by 4 different players.

 The win pulls the Tigers into a tie with Swift Current for 6th place, as Moose Jaw defeated the Broncos Tonight. Lethbridge Lost to Red Deer in a shootout so Lethbridge remains 1 point ahead. The Tigers with a game in hand.

Next Up: The Tigers take on Calgary Tuesday at the Arena.