Rebels can’t break through in home loss to Oil Kings
RED DEER – It was a game that was right there for the taking for the Red Deer Rebels.
But alas, as well as they played it was an opening minute goal that stood up as the game winner for the Edmonton Oil Kings in a 2-0 win over the Rebels Friday night at the Marchant Crane Centrium.
The Rebels missed a chance to move back ahead of Moose Jaw into eighth place in the WHL Eastern Conference and remain one point back of the Warriors, albeit with two games in hand, as they prepare to host Swift Current tomorrow night.
STATS STORY
Parker Snell (EDM) – 34-save shutout win
Lukas Sawchyn (EDM) – game winning goal
Matthew Kondro (RD) – 22 saves
HOW IT HAPPENED
Just 48 seconds into the game, Lukas Sawchyn lurked behind the Rebels defence, took a stretch pass and beat Matthew Kondro on a breakaway for a 1-0 Edmonton lead.
The Rebels regrouped in short order and played rather well through the rest of the game but were unable to find the game tying goal. Their best chance to do so came in the third period when they had a 5-on-3 power play for a full two minutes, but could not cash in.
Parker Snell was solid in net for Edmonton. The Rebels managed to put pucks past him on a handful of occasions only to be haunted by the sound of shots clanging off of goal posts.
Ethan MacKenzie scored an empty netter with 1:28 left to play to put the wraps on a frustrating night for the Rebels.
Red Deer outshot Edmonton 34-23 on the night but came up empty on seven power play opportunities. The Oil Kings were 0-for-2 on power plays.
BRANDT THREE STARS
1. Parker Snell (EDM)
2. Kalder Varga (RD)
3. Adam Jecho (EDM)
WHAT THEY SAID
Marc Habscheid
NOTES
Red Deer falls to 21-32-2-2 on the season while Edmonton improves to 37-16-3-2 … The Rebels finish the season 0-7-1-0 versus the Oil Kings … former Rebels forward Jaxon Fuder played his first game in Red Deer since being traded to the Oil Kings on December 27 … Rebels scratches for the game were Cameron Dillard and Cole Temple (lower) … Attendance for the game was 3601.
NEXT UP
The Rebels are right back in action Saturday when they host the Swift Current Broncos at the Marchant Crane Centrium at 6 p.m.
