Rebels on verge of playoffs after second-straight win over Calgary
Rebels 4 Hitmen 3
Red Deer Rebels head coach Dave Struch had a first-hand look Friday at the fruits of a long week of practice.
The Rebels jumped out to a three-goal lead over the Calgary Hitmen then hung on for a 4-3 WHL victory before 4,326 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Down 4-1 entering the third period, the hosts cut the deficit to two when Keets Fawcett buried a rebound at the 6:03 mark. Then, just 41 seconds later, Maxim Muranov scored following a poor clearing attempt by the Rebels.
But that was it for the home side as the visitors closed out the victory over the final 13 minutes and change — their seventh in eight meetings with Calgary this season.
“We learned a lot tonight about our identity, especially the way we played in the first two periods,” said Struch, who is 2-0 behind the Red Deer bench since joining the team last weekend.
“It’s a credit to how hard they worked this week in practice, and how they practiced. Every day was real competitive and the first two periods today, especially, were a big part of our win here.”
The Rebels fell behind early when Carson Wetsch broke over the blueline, cut to the net and slipped the puck through goaltender Chase Wutzke’s pads.
The Hitmen had a chance to add to their lead with a power play later in the opening period, but Ollie Josephson potted a shorthanded marker, stealing the puck from Pavel Bocharov in the neutral zone, breaking in and beating goalie Ethan Buenaventura with a backhand deke.
“That’s just a great example of being relentless, battling through and being engaged in a battle like that,” said Struch. “I know it happened in the middle of the ice but he created a lot of it on his own and obviously it was a good finish.”
The goal not only pulled the Rebels even, it switched the momentum as Kalan Lind notched a power play goal in the final minute of the period, converting the rebound of a Hunter Mayo point shot.
The Rebels then struck for a pair of odd-man rush tallies in the second period as Jeramiah Roberts broke down the right side and fed Carson Birnie in front for his 14th of the season, and Talon Brigley fired home a pass from Lind on a play that was similar to the previous marker but from the other side of the ice.
The Rebels were one-for-four on the power play and an impressive five-for-five on the penalty kill. Included was a four-minute kill that started late in the second period and extended into the first 3:34 of the third.
The Hitmen managed just a single shot on goal during the double power play, although defenceman Carter Yakemchuk hit the post with one shot and rang another off the crossbar.
“Both special teams were good,” said Struch. “The momentum was really good on the power play and on the PK, Wutzke was great for us.
“There was a lot of blocked shots and guys were in the right places. For a group of guys who are trying to create a new identity, it’s a special night for them because they saw what it’s like to play fast and hard, compete hard, play physical and be rewarded for it.”
Wutzke made 29 saves, including a breakaway stop on Tyson Greenway in the third period. Buenaventura stopped 32 shots for Calgary.
The Rebels also got a key block from Josephson with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game as he got in front of a drive by Yakemchuk from the high slot.
“Last weekend (in a 2-1 win) against these guys I think we had 16 or 17 blocks and there was a lot of blocks for us tonight,” said Struch.
“It makes a difference. They get the bench going and are energy givers, they keep us all engaged.”
The Rebels and Hitmen meet again Saturday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Red Deer can clinch a playoff berth by gaining just a single point.
Notable: Lind, Matthew Gard and Mayo returned to the Red Deer lineup after battling various ailments last weekend. The Rebels are still without overage forward Carson Latimer and defenceman Quentin Bourne, and lost veteran blueliner Elias Carmichael to a lower body injury in practice early in the week. The 20-year-old will be out indefinitely . . . The three stars: (1) Lind, with a goal an assists, (2) Wetsch, with one goal and one helper, and (3) Brigley, whose goal was his 17th of the season (and second-straight game winner) . . . The Rebels pulled to within two points of the Swift Current Broncos for second place in the Central Division and fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Broncos have two games in hand.
