Hitmen show urgency in win over Hurricanes

By Lethbridge Herald on March 22, 2023.

Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Lethbridge Hurricanes Miguel Marques looks for the loose puck in front of Calgary Hitmen goaltender Brayden Peters and defenceman Dax Williams during Western Hockey League action Wednesday night at the Enmax Centre.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Calgary Hitmen came into the Enmax Centre and squeezed out a gutsy  3-2 win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

Calgary came into the game with more desperation and urgency  as they are looking to earn a playoff spot and it showed with their effort.

“Well I thought Calgary, they were the more desperate and urgent team … all over the ice,” said Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio.

“They won races, they blocked more shots and they played harder.”

Kisio thinks the team has to be better this late in the season.

“At this time of year, it’s not the urgency and desperation you need in a hockey game,” said Kisio.

“I think Calgary was a better team. We got a couple goals early. Smitty (Hayden Smith) played a good game, and (Trae) Wilke and (Miguel)Marques there, but we had a lot of passengers after that.”

Smith skated in on a partial breakaway and beat Hitmen goaltender Brayden Peters to open the scoring at 2:51 of the first period.

Tristan Zandee and Joe Arntsen assisted on Smith’s 12th goal of the season.

Smith scored his second of the night and 13th of the season when he tapped a cross crease pass into an empty net from Miguel Marques at 10:09 of the first period to give the Canes a 2-0 lead.

“It’s definitely huge,” said Smith.

“I’ll definitely carry that forward into the next games. And yeah good to get those after quite a few shots on net that haven’t been going in.”

Oliver Tulk gave the Hitmen some life with his 24th of the season at 10:35 of the first period to cut the Hurricanes lead to 2-1.

Keagan Slaney and Sean Tschigerl drew the assists on the goal.

Tschigerl tied the game 2-2, as he cut into the slot and ripped home his 26th goal of the campaign at 13:36 of the first period from Carson Wetsch.

Canes goalie Bryan Thomson was busy in the first period as he kicked out 15-of-17 Hitmen shots.

Slaney got the game winner for the Hitmen at the 8:44 mark of the third period with his fifth of the season from Tschigerl and Tulk.

“Not a bad job by the guys but definitely could have done a few more things to lock it down definitely on our defensive chances against there,” said Smith.

“But yeah not too bad and definitely got to be better going into the next ones before playoffs.”

Smith thinks the Hurricanes can’t take anything too light and play as hard as they can heading into the final two regular season games.

Final shots were 41-29 in favour of the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes ended the season series with a 4-3-0-0 record against Calgary.

Lethbridge (35-25-3-3) will need a point in either of their last two games to lock up fifth place in Eastern Conference ahead of the WHL playoffs.

The Hurricanes will begin a home and home with the Red Deer Rebels on Friday night at the Enmax Centre.

The two teams will conclude the regular season in Red Deer on Saturday.