Rebels drop OT heartbreaker to Pats
By Xander Holcomb – The Regina Pats visited the Peavey Mart Centrium to battle the Rebels Saturday night as both teams looked to end losing streaks.
The Rebels erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2 before dropping a gut punching 4-3 overtime loss.
Red Deer suffered its sixth loss in a row (0-5-1-0) while the Pats won for the first time in four outings.
STATS STORY:
Jaxon Fuder – 2A
Chase Wutzke – 24 saves
Caden Brown – 1G, 1A
Braxton Whitehead – OT winner
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Regina opened the scoring seven minutes into the first period as Caden Browns’ shot from the blueline found an opening and beat Rebels netminder Peyton Shore to the glove side.
Red Deer native Ephram McNutt found the puck in the slot, and snapped a shot to double the Pats’ lead to 2-0 just 2:07 later.
Chase Wutzke entered the game for the Rebels late in the first period when starting netminder Peyton Shore after being plowed into by Pats’ forward Anthony Wilson, who was given a major penalty and game misconduct for goaltender interference.
Matthew Gard showed off his patience to get the Rebels on the board in period two as he found the puck in the low slot, skated across the crease and spun entirely around before sliding the puck past Pats starting goaltender Kelton Pyne just 4:19 into the middle frame.
Derek Thurston tied the game 6:23 into the third period with a point shot that was originally stopped by Pyne, but a strange bounce sent the puck straight in the air, and then off of Pyne’s back before trickling over the goal line.
Cohen Klassen scored his first WHL goal to regain a 3-2 lead for Regina, as he deflected home a shot on the powerplay with just six minutes to play in the third period.
Only 1:20 later, Trae Wilke answered for the Rebels, walking down the left wing and ripping a high shot that beat Pyne to the glove side to tie the game at 3-3 with 4:40 to play.
A 🎯 to bring us even! pic.twitter.com/HWfJK1wnnk
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 5, 2025
Overtime was needed, where Braxton Whitehead scored the winner for Regina on a one-timer from the left faceoff circle. Just prior to the goal, Kelton Pyne made a game-saving stop on a cross-crease pass to Doogan Pederson who was left alone in the slot.
Regina outshot Red Deer 36-32 and was 1-for-2 on the power play while the Rebels were o-for-3.
THREE STARS:
1. Braxton Whitehead (REG)
2. Jaxon Fuder (RD)
3. Zach Pantelakis (REG)
WHAT THEY SAID:
Postgame comments from Rebels head coach Dave Struch…
NOTES:
The Rebels started the game with just 10 forwards due to injuries and Saturday’s trading of Carson Birnie to Calgary leaving the club short-staffed … Red Deer was down to nine forwards for the third period after Kalan Lind left after taking a puck to the ribs in period two … Ollie Josephson (lower), Kasper Pikkarainen (lower), Jhett Larson (upper) and Cole Peardon (illness) all missed the game for the Rebels … Jaxon Fuder had two assists for his second-straight two-point-game.
NEXT UP:
The Rebels are back to work on Tuesday, as the Saskatoon Blades visit the Peavey Mart Centrium for a 7pm puck drop.
