Lind scores late in OT to lift Rebels past Hurricanes
Rebels 3 Hurricanes 2 (OT)
LETHBRIDGE — Two consecutive overtime games, two consecutive wins.
Kalan Lind tallied with 11 seconds remaining in extra time Friday at the Enmax Centre, lifting the Red Deer Rebels to a 3-2 WHL victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes in front of 2,908 fans.
The overtime triumph was the second in succession for the Rebels, who got a decisive goal from Kai Uchacz in a 4-3 come-from-behind win over the visiting Calgary Hitmen last Sunday.
Lind raced down the left side, cut to the middle and beat ‘Canes netminder Bryan Thomson to the blocker side.
Hurricanes head coach Brent Kisio challenged that the play was offside — arguing that Jayden Grubbe was ahead of the play as he crossed the blueline — but the goal stood following a video review.
🔝🧀, in OT! @kacolind13 pic.twitter.com/jWnbcM4Hd2
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 11, 2021
“A nice play for sure. And a good play by Grubbey going to the net to suck the defence back and a good little cut across and shot by Lind,” said Rebels head coach Steve Konowalchuk.
The Rebels grabbed an early lead on the power play when Arshdeep Bains jammed the puck home during a goalmouth scramble 6:26 into the contest.
But the ‘Canes, despite being outshot 18-8 in the opening frame, tallied twice before the intermission. Noah Boyko went top shelf from the edge of the right circle and Alex Thacker jumped on a giveaway inside the Red Deer blueline and flipped a backhand over the shoulder of goalie Connor Ungar.
The Rebels pulled even with the lone goal of the second period, Dallon Melin notching his first of the season on a perfect feed across the front of the crease by Blake Gustafson.
Dallon Melin of the @Rebelshockey hails from Czar, Alberta.
It's the home of the Fireside Grill, where exotic burgers (emu, python, alligator to name a few) are famously on the menu.
We aren't sure what that has to do w/ hockey but when we can string a story together, we do it. pic.twitter.com/AX2hmbr1mk
— The WHL (@TheWHL) December 11, 2021
The third period was scoreless as both teams were content to play it safe, particularly in the second half of the frame.
Overall, it was a physical contest with the Rebels scoring once on six man-advantage opportunities and the Hurricanes going zero-for-three on the power play.
“The guys played hard,” said Konowalchuk. “You had to fight for your ice out there and I thought for the most part the guys did that.
“They (Hurricanes) grind it out and if you take any shortcuts you’re going to play more in your end. But again, for the most part we were willing to grind it out and were engaged physically and gave ourselves a chance to win.”
Among Ungar’s 28 saves were second-period robberies of Chase Pauls and Logan Wormald and a sensational third-period sliding save on 15-year-old Miguel Marques, selected by Lethbridge 10th overall in Thursday’s WHL Prospects Draft.
Thomson turned aside 36 shots, his best save coming early in the game when he slid across the crease to take a goal away from Lind.
Notable: The Hurricanes, for some reason, swept the three-star selections — (1) Thacker, (2) Thomson and (3) Marques . . . The Rebels host the Medicine Hat Tigers Saturday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Game time is 7 p.m. with tickets available through Tickets Alberta.
