Errors costly again as Rebels fall to visiting Broncos

Broncos 7 Rebels 5

The Swift Current Broncos are a team that can derive benefit from any miscue by their opponent.

At least that was the case Friday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium where the visitors claimed a 7-5 WHL victory despite directing only 25 shots at a pair of Red Deer Rebels goaltenders.

“They scored on their chances,” said Rebels head coach Derrick Walser after what ended up as his final game behind the club’s bench. “We had quite a few chances and didn’t capitalize and they scored on every chance they had.”

The Broncos also made a habit of scoring timely goals, potting one in the final minute of each period and another in the opening minute of the final frame.

“I think we let in a few goals we shouldn’t have,” said captain Kai Uchacz. “Just little mistakes . . . maybe not ready to start the first.”

Good point, as the Broncos jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the game was five minutes old. 

Rebels netminder Chase Wutzke kicked out a shot by Ryan Gould and Matthew Ward buried the rebound, and Josh Filmon scored shortly after, taking a drop pass from Clarke Caswell at the Red Deer blueline, breaking in and slipping the puck through Wutzke’s pads.

To their credit, the Rebels fought back and drew even on a breakaway goal by Frantisek Formanek at the 10:38 mark and another from affiliate defenceman Luke Vlooswyk, who jumped on a feed from Uchacz and beat netminder Reid Dyck from the high slot. 

It was the first ever WHL goal for the Rebels’ first pick in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, who was called up from the Edge School U18 team with Red Deer defencemen Hunter Mayo and Quentin Bourne out with injuries.

The Broncos answered back five minutes later when Luke Mistelbacher avoided a check at the Red Deer blueline, swooped in and beat Wutzke to his blocker side. 

“We climb back to make it 2-2, let our details slip again and they get a goal they probably didn’t deserve,” said Uchacz. “We kind of make our own mistakes and it’s in the back of our net.”

Then, with 19 seconds remaining in the period, Connor Hvidston scored on the power play to give the Broncos a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes. Rhett Stoesser would replace Wutzke in net for Red Deer to start the second period.

Samuel Drancak cut the deficit to 4-3 early in the middle period, beating Dyck from the low slot after the puck bounced out in front from a battle behind the net.

But again, the Broncos regained their two-goal lead with a power play tally off the stick of Conor Geekie with 6.3 seconds remaining in the period.

Mistelbacher notched his second of the evening just 46 seconds into the third period to up the visitors’ lead to 6-3, but the Rebels replied three minutes later when Jhett Larson, from the low slot, converted a nifty down low feed from Mats Lindgren.

With Stoesser on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, the Rebels pulled to within one with a minute remaining on Lindgren’s eighth of the season, a wrister from the high slot following a perfect pass from Ollie Josephson.

But Gould buried an empty netter 21 seconds later to seal the deal.

“The guys didn’t give up, you have to give them a lot of praise. They never quit, never gave up,” said Walser.

“Every big mistake we made just kept going in the back of our net. We have to clean that area up. The guys played with a lot of passion and heart but we made those big mistakes and they cost us.”

The Broncos were two-for-four on the power play while the Rebels were zero-for-three, including a five-minute man advantage in the second period.

The Rebels return to action Saturday against the visiting Calgary Hitmen.

“We have to refocus and get ready for tomorrow,” said Uchacz. “I think guys are working hard out there, just maybe the details are off . . . just not fully engaged maybe.

 “We have to find a way to start every period on time and play a full 60 minutes each night.” 

Notable: Dyck made 33 saves while Wutzke stopped nine of 13 shots and Stoesser turned aside nine of the 11 shots he faced . . . Besides Mayo and Bourne, the Rebels were without injured top six forward Kalan Lind . . . The three stars: (1) Caswell, who recorded three assists, (2) Formanek, who had a four-point night with a goal and three helpers, and (3) Mistelbacher, who scored twice . . . Prior to the game, Uchacz was honoured as the Mitchell and Jewell Rebels player of the month for February, and rookie defenceman Derek Thurston picked up the Telus scholastic player of the month award . . . Attendance was 4,515.

(Photos by Taylor Lachance)