Bisons blank Tigers in finale

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

They treated it like just another win.
With the 5-0 victory over the South East Athletic Club Tigers at the Medicine Hat Arena, the Foothills CFR Chemicals Bisons put a bow on their best regular season in franchise history since moving to the 34-game schedule.
After the game, Bisons head coach message to the team was typical, complementary, but always with an eye focused on the next task at hand.
“I told them that I am proud of them for the effort that they put in and work that they accomplished,” said Bisons head coach Sandy Henry. “Now, the real work begins.”
Heading into the regular season finale, their playoff fate was already cemented into place as the number two seed in the Chrysler division.
This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill, play-the-season-out type of game. The Tigers (8-20-6) came out with a little extra vinegar in their strides.
Chippy right from the get-go, bodies were launching at one another as the Bisons (25-6-3) jumped out to an early lead.
The first period was all Bisons, as they outshot the Tigers 14-2, taking an early lead on goals from Jackson Salt and Joel Krahenbil.
Salt was positioned in front of the net when his line mate and fellow Okotoks native Peyton Krebs walked the blue line on the power play. Seeing his man in position, Krebs snapped one along the ice, perfect placement for Salt to get some wood on it and chip it over the Tigers netminder. Krebs 25th assist moved him into a three-way tie with Eric Blanchette and Jordan Biro of the Sherwood Park J. Ennis Kings for the Alberta Midget Hockey League scoring lead. Krebs played in five fewer games than the Kings duo.
“Winning the scoring title was a goal of mine, if it’s meant to be, then I’ll get it,” said Krebs after the game, before hearing about what took place in the Kings finale. “If not, I’d much rather win the playoff scoring race and a championship.”
Brandon Machado came streaking down the right wing and drew the attention of the goalie and one defender. Nobody on the Tigers picked up Joel Krahenbil, who came steaming down the centre of the ice, calmly sliding the Machado rebound through the five-hole for one of his easier markers on the year.
In the second, alternate captain Tyson Scott entered the zone on a two-on-one with Machado. Keeping and shooting, Machado was camped on the doorsteps, taking a pair of whacks at the kick out, registering his 13th. Scott was credited with season-high five assists.
One week earlier, Hunter Young witnessed his goaltending partner Ben Laidlaw pick up his first shutout. In his last chance to pick up a regular season blank slate, Young was only tested 17 times. The shutout left him one one-thousandth of a percentage point (.929) behind Samuel Burford (.930) of the Calgary Royals for the AMHL save percentage title.
“We were all glad for him,” said Henry. “He’s worked all season for this, and I reminded the guys to go out and get this for him on the last couple of shifts without saying ‘the word.’ “
With Tarun Fizer still sidelined with an upper-body injury and Tyler Petrie week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the Bisons called up Ethan Strang of the AC Avalanche Minor Midget squad and Nathan Bailer of the midget AA Okotoks Oilers. For Strang, it was an opportunity to play against his brother, Austin, for the first time this season.
“That was the plan. We saw that AC didn’t have a game, so it was an easy decision and with Austin being a 17-year-old, we thought this was the last chance for them to play against one another,” said Henry, who narrowly dodged a clearing attempt behind the bench in the second period.
Machado picked up his third point of the game when he won a battle on the left half wall, found Boaz Bassen sitting in a soft spot in the Tigers defence just above the slot. He lined up his shot and ripped one top shelf, stretching the lead to 4-0 at the 14:18 mark.
Cole Clayton added an insurance marker at the 12:45 mark of the third as the result of a strong cycle play down low in the Tigers zone, making it 5-0.
The Calgary Buffaloes (24-4-6) won their final game, clinching the top seed in the Chrysler division. The Bisons wind up with the number two seed, one point ahead of the Bisons, earning a first-round bye in the AMHL playoffs. They will take on the highest-ranked team from the opening best-out-of-three series.
The best-of-five second round series kicks of March 1 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
The Calgary Northstars (number six seed, 16-16-2) will take on the Calgary Royals (number three seed, 22-8-4) in one of the Chrysler division quarterfinals, with the Red Deer Optimist Chiefs (number four seed, 19-5-10) hosting the Calgary Flames (number five seed, 20-12-2) on the other side of the bracket.