Canes host final home game before the Christmas break

By Dale Woodard on December 17, 2021.

Before they head into the Christmas break, the Lethbridge Hurricanes will face off in a home-and-home series with a southern Alberta rival.

The Canes host the Medicine Hat Tigers in Western Hockey League play tonight at 7 p.m. at the Enmax Centre before trekking down Highway 3 for the rematch Saturday night in Medicine Hat.

Lethbridge heads into tonight’s game having captured five of six points in their last three games.

Last Friday, the Canes were downed 3-2 in overtime by the Red Deer Rebels. That OT setback came after an overtime and shootout win over the Calgary Hitmen as the Hurricanes sit at 10-11-2-0 heading into tonight.

That puts them in 11th place in what remains a tight Eastern Conference with the Hurricanes trailing Moose Jaw Warriors, Brandon Wheat Kings and Saskatoon Blades by seven points.

Lethbridge is also only three points behind the eighth place Swift Current Broncos.

The Tigers are in last in the Eastern Conference at 5-16-3-1, having gone 1-9-0-0 in their last 10 games.

However, the Tigers come into tonight’s game on a winning note, having downed the Rebels 4-3 in a shootout Saturday in Red Deer.

Hurricanes left winger Alex Thacker scored his fifth goal of the season in last Friday’s setback to the Rebels. His 19 assists are tops on the team and his 24 points in 23 games is second in team scoring behind overage forward Justin Hall’s 10 goals and 26 points.

Lethbridge forward Noah Boyko also scored Friday night and is one goal away from double digits with nine.

Heading into the break, 19-year-old goaltender Bryan Thomson has seen the bulk of the work in the crease with 20 games played and an 8-10-2-0 record.

The Hurricanes first game after Christmas is Dec. 27 when they head to Swift Current to face the Broncos.

The Broncos pay a visit to the Enmax Centre Dec. 28.

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