The Hurricanes closed out their 2011-2012 season with a pair of wins and a loss on the road.
The Hurricanes ended the season on a high note on Saturday, winning 6-5 against the Medicine Hat Tigers.
The Tigers were fourth in the eastern conference and headed to the post season. This was the eighth meeting of these division rivals, their series at 4-3 in favour of the Tigers.
Both teams came out on the offence but Medicine Hat was the first to jump on the scoreboard. Hunter Shinkaruk claimed goal 47 for the season.
The Hurricanes Russell Maxwell would even the score with a back hand goal moments later. However, Shinkaruk rallied back quickly to bank another. Curtis Valk added to the Tigers lead, ending the first 3-1.
Early in the second, Sinkaruk, on a power play, continued to add to the Tigers lead and got his seventh hat trick of the season.
The Hurricanes amped up the offensive pressure and would catch a break later in the second. Maxwell would score another and Brody Sutter put two away making the score 4-4 at the end of the second.
Tigers’s Matt Konan scored just after the midway point of the third period and the goal looked like it was going to hold up as the game winner. However, Graham Hood ruined their plans by scoring in the last 16 seconds of the game.
The overtime game was a constant battle, both teams’ goalies showing off their skills and stopping everything, sending the game to a shootout.
The Hurricanes took the final goal, making the game 6-5. The shootout went four rounds, Juraj Bezuch scored as well as another goal from Maxwell, giving him a hat trick.
Canes goalie Damien Ketlo made 32 saves on 37 shots, his 20th win of the season.
On Friday night Lethbridge met the Red Deer Rebels. The Hurricanes had the edge in the series, winning the last three of five previous games against them.
The Rebels sat in ninth place in the eastern conference, and just like the Canes are out of the post season.
Red Deer got on the score board four minutes into the first when Charles Inglis moved in on a two-on-one opportunity.
The first period continued with both teams battling to get the puck in the net but, neither team was successful. The first ended 1-0 for the Rebels and the team’s shots on net were dead even at 14-14.
The Canes pressed on in the second and came up with a goal late in the period. Macoy Erkamps banked a slap shot off the post.
The teams went into the third 1-1. After one minute the Rebels regained the lead when Cody Thiel lifted a backhanded shot over Canes goalie, Liam Liston.
The Rebels’ lead was short lived as Craig Leverton evened the score for the Canes. Leverton was playing his first game back after a lengthy absence due to injury.
The game-winning goal came from Coaldale’s Adam Kambeitz, who put the puck past Liston and gave the Rebels a 3-2 win.
Wednesday night the Canes were in Calgary, on the ice against the Hitmen for their sixth meeting of the season. Calgary had the edge over Lethbridge in the series after their 6-3 win at the Enmax last Friday night.
The Canes went into their final road trip coming off back-to-back at home losses, the Hitmen were hoping to continue their three-game-winning streak.
Wednesday night’s game marked Canes forward Graham Hood’s 250th career game.
The Hurricanes opened up the scoring quickly. Jaimen Yakubowski banked his 16th goal of the year with just two minutes into the first.
Maxwell utilized the Hurricanes’ power play and scored the second goal of the game just five minutes into the first. The Canes found themselves with a 2-0 lead after only three shots on net.
Calgary started to pick up their pace and got on the scoreboard after Victor Rask beat Canes goalie Kelto for his 32nd goal of the season.
Hurricanes’ Hood would snatch back the two goal lead scoring just before the end of the first period.
Forty-nine seconds into the second, Calgary’s Trevor Cheek scored and closed the gap on the scoreboard.
After a few minutes the Canes took back their lead with a goal by Sam McKechnie, making the score 4-2 half way through the second period.
Trailing on the scoreboard the Hitmen pulled goalie Chris Dreidger from net and sent in Brandon Glover.
Lethbridge players spent quite a few minutes in the penalty box but were able to keep their lead, despite Calgary having a 4-3 advantage.
Jamal Watson continued the Canes momentum in the third, scoring his fifth of the year and giving the team a three-goal lead.
The Hitmen scrambled to get anything in the net but Ketlo held them off and sustained the score giving the Hurricanes a 5-2 win.