Rough third period dooms Chiefs in loss to Tigers

MEDICINIE HAT, Alberta – Josh Williams scored two goals, Ryan Chyzowski added a goal and two assists and the Medicine Hat Tigers used a three-goal third period to pull away for a 7-4 victory over the Spokane Chiefs in Western Hockey League action on Wednesday night.

Medicine Hat (8-4-0-0) led 1-0 after the first period on Williams’ first tally of the match at the 15:15 mark.

Spokane (8-6-0-1) knotted the score just 3:43 into the second period on Riley Woods’ eighth goal of the season. Nolan Reid and Filip Kral assisted on the score.

The Tigers retook the lead on a goal by David Quenneville at 7:14 in the second, but the Chiefs once again pulled even on a goal by Zach Fischer. Hudson Elynuik assisted on Fischer’s third goal of the season.

Medicine Hat took the lead for good on a pair of goals 55 seconds apart. Hayden Ostir scored with a man advantage at 12:29 and Tyler Prezluso added an unassisted goal at 13:24 for a 4-2 lead.

Spokane stayed close when Elynuik picked up his second assist on Nolan Reid’s sixth netter of the season to make it 4-3.

But disaster struck early in the third period when the Tigers scored three straight goals – by Williams, Chyzowski, and James Hamblin – in a 3:34 span for a 7-3 lead.

The Chiefs’ final tally came from Elynuik – his eighth of the campaign – at the 12:26 mark of the third. Woods notched the assist.

The loss drops the Chiefs into third place in the U.S. Division, one point behind co-leaders Portland and Tri-City.

Neither Spokane goaltender faired well against the Tigers. Dawson Weatherill stopped just 13 of 17 shots in 33:24 of play, while backup Donovan Buskey turned back 14 of 17 in 26:35.

Spokane travels to Red Deer on Friday to cap off its four-game road swing through Canada. The Chiefs are currently 2-1 on the trip and sport a 5-1 record north of the border.

Reid scored in a fifth straight game for Spokane. The streak is the longest active streak in the WHL.

The Chiefs outshot the Tigers 40-34, but continued to struggle on the power play (1 for 4).