Josephson, Wutzke difference makers in 2-1 win over visiting Raiders
Rebels 2 Raiders 1
The Red Deer Rebels didn’t bring their A-game Saturday.
Turns out they didn’t need it.
Ollie Josephson scored with 1:37 remaining and Chase Wutzke made 26 saves in a first-star performance to lift the Rebels to a 2-1 WHL win over the Prince Albert Raiders before 5,262 fans at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
“When you sit there and watch we looked like we were three seconds behind with everything,” said Rebels head coach Derrick Walser, whose club recorded its seventh win in succession and third in four days.
“Our routes were right, things we were doing were right, but our brains were two or three seconds behind.
“But you don’t win seven in a row always being perfect. We gutted it out, we got the two points and Wutzke was outstanding. He gave us the opportunity (to win) again.”
Josephson created a turnover at centre ice, cruised over the blueline and beat netminder Max Hildebrand with a wrist shot to snap a 1-1 tie with time winding down.
“I saw No. 10 (Terrell Goldsmith) with the puck and it looked like he was going to make a pass in the middle, so I thought I’d jump,” said the man of the hour and the game’s third star. “Lucky enough I got it, took a shot on net and it went in. It was good.”
The goal marked a reversal of the third period flow as the visitors were the hungrier, more desperate club in the final frame, outshooting their hosts 14-4.
But thanks in large part to Wutzke, the Raiders couldn’t cash in while carrying the play down the stretch.
“The one thing we wanted to match tonight was their desperation and at moments we did,” said Walser. “But again, we just got out of synch and we looked tired. It’s a tough schedule for everybody, but no excuses.
“Again, we found a way to win. Early in the year we would have found a way to lose that game. Kudos to the guys for just battling all the way to the end.”
The Rebels never trailed in the game, grabbing a 1-0 lead on Kalan Lind’s seventh goal of the season 7:06 into the contest before the Raiders countered with a late second period power play goal.
Lind was falling as he directed a shot at Hildebrand from close range and his momentum carried the puck into the net. The goal was originally called off, but that decision was reversed following a video review.
With Rebels defenceman Elias Carmichael serving an interference penalty, Prince Albert pulled even at the 16:59 mark of the middle frame when Aidan Oiring converted a rebound from the edge of the crease.
The Rebels were outshot 27-18 overall and could have easily come out on the short end of the score.
But, as Josephson stated: “Not every game is going to be your best but we pulled it out in the end. It was a character win.”
The second-year Rebels centre, who will head east Monday to prepare for Wednesday’s CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Moncton, N.B., said the team’s confidence is growing game by game.
“I think we all believe in our group, the staff, the coaches, all the players,” he stated. “I think we’re going to keep going from here and the only way is up.”
Notable: Hildebrand made 16 saves . . . The Raiders were one-for-three on the power play, the Rebels zero-for-four . . . Selected as the game’s second star was forward Aiden Oiring who set up the visitors’ lone goal . . . Josephson, whose goal was his sixth of the season, also assisted on Lind’s tally during a two-on-one break . . . Lind’s goal extended his points streak to five games . . . The Rebels pulled to within two points of the Central Division leading Medicine Hat Tigers who were 5-4 overtime losers in Regina. Red Deer has one game in hand on their Alberta rivals and will gain another when Medicine Hat plays in Brandon on Sunday . . . The Rebels are idle until next weekend when they host the Edmonton Oil Kings Friday and welcome the Brandon Wheat Kings to the Centrium 24 hours later.
(Photos by Taylor Lachance)
