MEDICINE HAT -- The Medicine Hat Tigers were the class of the Eastern Conference in the regular season, and that status didn’t change in Game 1 of their opening round Western Hockey League playoff series with the Swift Current Broncos.
Oasiz Weisblatt recorded a hat trick and Harrison Meneghin picked up the shutout as the Tigers rolled to a 4-0 win over the Broncos in Medicine Hat.
Weisblatt needed no time at all to pick up what would stand as the game-winning goal, as he found himself alone at the side of the net and redirected a feed from Gavin McKenna into the wide-open goal only 2:11 into the game.
The Medicine Hat captain then made it 2-0 with 4:10 remaining in the second, taking a pass from McKenna after a turnover in the Swift Current zone and putting down a slick move in front before tucking the puck around the downed goaltender.
Weisblatt finished off his hat trick midway through the third, scoring the Tigers’ first power play goal of the series after taking a slick backhand cross-crease pass from Liam Ruck and hammering home a one-timer with 9:29 to play in regulation. McKenna picked up his third assist on the goal.
Bryce Pickford then finished off scoring on the night with an empty-netter with 1:31 left in regulation.
Meneghin stopped all 21 shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout, while Reid Dyck had 23 stops for Swift Current.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is set for Saturday in Medicine Hat, with puck drop at 7 p.m. from Co-Op Place.
