Broncos end Rebels home win streak
By DANNY RODE
To have success the Red Deer Rebels need to play a certain way.
That was evident Tuesday during a 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Swift Current Broncos at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
The Rebels jumped into a 2-0 lead by the 6:33 mark of the first period, but trailed 3-2 after 20 minutes.
“That was disappointing especially being up 2-0,” said Rebels head coach Dave Struch. “But we were up 2-0 despite not doing things the right way.”
Struch was especially disappointed in the team’s puck management, especially in the defensive zone.
“I thought we were just fine defensively, but the way we managed the puck we gifted them all night. It wasn’t the matter of anything more than that. The inconsistency of our puck management, Christmas came early for Swift Current tonight.”
The Broncos gave their Christmas gifts to the Rebels early.
Beckett Hamilton was the benefactor of giveaway at 5:25 of the first period when a Swift Current defenceman couldn’t handle the puck behind the net allowing it to bounce out directly to the Rebels rookie, who notched his eighth goal of the season.
Trae Wilke grabbed a loose puck 68 seconds later and ripped a shot past Broncos netminder Joey Rocha from the high slot.
However, as the Rebels started to play giveaway, Jaxen Gauchier, at 7:21, Luke Mistelbacher at 14:28 and Connor Gabriel at 15:48 beat Red Deer netminder Chase Wutzke on 12 first-period shots.
The second period was fairly even until the Broncos took advantage of a two-man power play. Clarke Caswell made it 4-2 at 14:56 when he was allowed to stand alone on the goal line and tuck the puck under Wutzke. Fifty-four seconds later Parker Rondeau scored a somewhat controversial goal on a play where Wutzke was bumped into by two Broncos players and was unable to recover in time for a save attempt on Rondeau’s high shot from the right wing.
“We were good for about five or six minutes in the second period then took a seat and gave things back to them,” said Struch. “It was very disappointing, it’s not the way we want to leave for Christmas.”
The Rebels had a couple glorified chances early in the second period, with Hamilton and Carson Birnie stopped on breakaways.
“We’ve struggled scoring goals, but if we weren’t getting those opportunities it would be really disappointing,” said Struch.
The Rebels did make a push in the third period, led by Kalan Lind who scored early in the frame on a one-timer from a drop pass by Steven Steranka, then in the game’s final minute when he tipped home a Hunter Mayo point shot with the Rebels on the power play and Wutzke on the bench for an extra attacker.
The Rebels managed to get Wutzke out of the net once again in the final seconds and have another glorified opportunity, but Rocha made a save in close with under 10 seconds remaining.
“We made a push, but it wasn’t enough. We have to play 60 plus minutes,” said Struch.
Struch suggested that the team needs to focus and reset during the Christmas break ahead of an important second half.
“There are nine or 10 teams in the mix every single night for the rest of the season so for us to have a chance we have to play a certain way. The guys have to take a good look in the mirror, we all do. To stay in it we have to do things the right way.”
“We know where we’re at as a team we know what kind of depth we have, we’re banged up.
“We have to bear down and play to our identity. If we do, we have a chance to win every night.”
ICE CHIPS – The loss snapped a six-game home winning streak … The Rebels are now 10-3-1-0 at home … Red Deer was without Ollie Josephson and Samuel Drancak, who are day-to-day, and Jhett Larson, out with a broken arm … Import Kasper Pikkarainen remains out indefinitely … Wutzke faced 35 shots and Rocha 33 … Lind was named third star with the Broncos Carlin Dezainde first and Rondeau second … Attendance for the game was 3,020 … Rebels are off until Dec. 27 when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings … They travel to Edmonton on Dec. 29 and host the Lethbridge Hurricanes Dec. 30 … They play three straight home games after the New Year – Jan. 3 against the Calgary Hitmen, Jan. 4 against the Regina Pats and Jan. 7 against the Saskatoon Blades.
