Calgary enters play with an 8-2-1-1 record. At 18 points they sit tied with Prince Albert for the Eastern Conference lead, just one point ahead of Edmonton. The Hitmen haven't played since last Saturday's 5-4 win in Vancouver when Cody Sylvester recorded his first WHL hat trick. Medicine Hat is 5-8-1-0. At 11 points the Tigers are 10th in the conference. However they are coming off Wednesday's 4-3 home ice shootout win over Kelowna. Cam Lanigan made 55 saves, plus two more in the shootout, to pick up the win. The Calgary product currently leads all WHL goalies with a 1.77 GAA and a .946 save percentage.
Tonight is the first of six regular season meetings between the two teams and kicks off a three games in three days schedule for the Hitmen who will also visit Red Deer Saturday before host Kelowna Sunday at 4pm.
STREAKIN': Only Zane Jones is riding a point scoring streak for Calgary currently on a two game run (1g 1a). Three Tigers bring streaks to Calgary with Elgin Pearce the hottest of the bunch on a five game streak (3g 5a). Curtis Valk has points in four straight (5g 4a) including goals in four straight which is the longest active streak in the WHL while Mile Koules is on a three game point streak (1g 2a). Cam Lanigan has made the last two starts in goal for Medicine Hat after coming over in a trade from Portland for a 7th round pick in 2013. He's made a combined 86 saves while allowing six goals for a .935 save percentage.
DID YOU KNOW? Despite being seven points behind the Hitmen in the standings the Tigers have scored one more goal this season but have given up 17 more.
HOME AND AWAY: Calgary is 3-1-1-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome this season while the Tigers are 1-5-1-0 on the road.
TOP SCORERS:
Calgary:
Brooks Macek 7g 14a 21pts
Brady Brassart 6g 9a 15pts
Cody Sylvester 11g 3a 14pts
Medicine Hat:
Curtis Valk 9g 8a 17pts
Hunter Shinkaruk 6g 7a 13pts
Trevor Cox 6g 6a 12pts
Miles Koules 5g 7a 12pts
Elgin Pearce 4g 8a 12pts
INJURIES:
Calgary:
#14 Brady Brassart, F, upper body, 2 weeks
#19 Calder Brooks, F, upper body, 30 day list
#15 Chase Clayton, F, lower body, 2 weeks
#9 Jayden Rissling, D, upper body, 1 week
Medicine Hat:
#19 Jayden Hart, F, lower body, day-to-day
#11 Steven Owre, F, upper body, day-to-day
#23 Alex Theriau, D, lower body, 2 weeks
AHL REPORT: Victor Rask who had 33 goals for the Hitmen last season has three points (1g 2a) in four games this season with the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Brad, any update on Victor Rask? Looks like he had 3 points last weekend in the AHL but sounds like Charlotte/Carolina are still undecided about whether he'll be back with the Hitmen.
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