The WHL’s top team has punched their ticket to the next round of the playoffs as the Winnipeg Ice finished off a four-game sweep of the Medicine Hat Tigers Wednesday night, picking up a 3-2 win in Game 4 of their first-round series.
The Ice were outshot in every game of the series, but never trailed.
Ice head coach James Patrick says his team was tested in Game 4, but they came through.
“The hardest one to get is always the fourth game,” Patrick said. “But it was a real gutsy effort from our guys.”
The Ice lost one of their key forwards for the game just 55 seconds in when Zack Ostapchuk was ejected for a cross-check from behind.
But just 19 seconds into the Tigers’ five-minute powerplay, Matthew Savoie struck shorthanded for Winnipeg and continued his torrid scoring pace in this series, with his sixth goal in the last four games.
The Tigers would make use of their lengthy man-advantage, striking back just 16 seconds later on a goal from Dru Krebs.
The game would stay tied at one until the 10:59 mark of the second period when Owen Pederson buried his first of the playoffs, to put the Ice ahead 2-1.
But Medicine Hat would respond before the period was out as Hunter St. Martin evened the game at two, with 4:01 to play in the middle frame.
Just 1:10 into the third, the Ice jumped back in front for good as Ty Nash scored his second goal in as many games, this one on a breakaway.
Daniel Hauser made 30 saves in net for the Ice.
Winnipeg’s Round 2 opponent has yet to be decided and they will take on the lowest-ranked team to advance in the Eastern Conference.
The three other East series were in action on Wednesday.
The #4 seed Moose Jaw Warriors finished off a four-game sweep of the Lethbridge Hurricanes with a 5-2 win, the #2-ranked Red Deer Rebels took a 3-1 lead over the #7 seed Calgary Hitmen with a 6-1 win in Game 4 and the Saskatoon Blades and Regina Pats are tied at two, after the Blades picked up an OT win.
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