McKenna and Medicine Hat look to extend WHL Final lead against Spokane in Game 2
Published
The Medicine Hat Tigers look to add to their series advantage against the Spokane Chiefs as they host Game 2 of the Western Hockey League Championship Series on Sunday.
Medicine Hat opened the series with a 4-1 victory over Spokane that saw goaltender Harrison Meneghin stand on his head, stopping 37 of 38 shots.
The 6-foot-4 netminder was acquired by the Tigers near the beginning off the season from the Lethbridge Hurricanes as the team was prepping for a long playoff run.
Meneghin had a 23-10-2 record this season and was third in the WHL with a 2.58 goals-against average to go along with his .900 save percentage in the regular season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning draft pick has been perfect in the playoffs, going 11-0 with a 2.30 GAA and .901 save percentage.
"The bigger the game, the more he gets dialed in," Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins said after the game. " He's been great for us. He's gone through a lot and for him to be able to stay focused. I know our guys are really excited for him when he makes saves and gets a win."
Forwards Andrew Basha and Cayden Lindstrom returned to the Tigers lineup for Game 1 after missing a significant amount of time due to injuries and both players made an impact.
Basha scored the game's opening goal after returning from an ankle injury that had him sidelined since late December.
The Calgary Flames prospect had nine goals and 29 points in 23 games prior to the injury. In 2023-24, he put up 30 goals and 85 points.
Game 1 of the WHL Final was Lindstrom's first game of the season after undergoing multiple back surgeries and recorded an assist on Basha's goal.
The 6-foot-4 centre was drafted fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2024 NHL Draft and had 27 goals and 46 points in 32 games in 2023-24 while dealing with injuries.
Meanwhile, phenom Gavin McKenna continues to put up points at an historic pace, recording two more assists to increase his point streak to 54 games.
His point streak is the longest in the Canadian Hockey League since the turn of the century, surpassing Alexander Radulov's streak of 50 games that he set during the 2005-06 season with the Quebec Remparts.
Defencemen Bryce Pickford and Tanner Molendyk also scored for Medicine Hat while forward Ethan Neutens potted another.
Seattle Kraken forward Berkly Catton scored Spokane's lone goal as they outshot the Tigers 37-22.
"It was one of those games where we kind of kept giving them the puck, especially in the second period," said Chiefs head coach Brad Lauer. "[It] put us on our heels for a little bit. we did stick around. We did find a way to get one. We've done that all year, we've been finding ways to get back in the games."
The series will shift to Spokane for Games 3, 4, and 5 that will take place beginning on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on TSN1/3, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.
The CHL on TSN continues Monday when the London Knights take on the Oshawa Generals in Game 3 of the OHL Championship Series at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN1/4/5, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.