Rebels open conference semifinal with road win
Rebels 3 Blades 1
SASKATOON — On a night when open ice was at a premium, the Red Deer Rebels found just enough space to carve out a 3-1 win over the host Saskatoon Blades Friday at the SaskTel Centre.
The Rebels, as a result, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven WHL Eastern Conference semifinal that continues Sunday afternoon (4 p.m. start) at the Blades’ home facility.
The contest was a tight checking affair the entire way, with the Blades managing 24 shots at Rebels netminder Kyle Kelsey and the visitors testing opposing goalie Austin Elliott with 19.
“I think that’s kind of what you expect with these two teams,” said Rebels head coach Steve Konowalchuk. “Chances and shots are sometimes not easy to come by.
“I don’t know if we came out and tried to do anything different. We played the same way we practised all regular season.”
Rebels forward Jhett Larson snapped a scoreless tie early in the second period when he deposited a feed from Christoffer Sedoff past Elliott.
The score held until Jace Isley made it 2-0 at 14:19 of the third frame. Isley broke down the right side, cut sharply to the net and hit the post. As the puck laid in the crease, Blades defenceman Ben Saunderson had it hit his stick and then glance off Elliott and into the net.
The Blades pulled Elliott with just over two minutes remaining and the move paid off when Jake Chiasson buried a rebound off Kelsey’s right pad.
But the hosts didn’t really threaten again and Sedoff sealed the deal with an empty-net goal with 4.1 seconds left, finding the opposition cage from just inside the Rebels blueline.
The Rebels were deserving winners after limiting the Blades to five shots in the opening period, eight in the second and 11 in the final frame, looking poised and determined the whole way.
“I liked the way we came out,” said Konowalchuk. “I didn’t think we were testing the waters, we came out and started to play our game.
“Everybody chipped in in their own little way and that’s always important at this time of the year. You have to have everyone going.”
That being said . . .
“There are things we’ll talk about,” said Konowalchuk. “I think we need to get even better. They’re going to get better so we have to get better.
“But getting the first road win in a series, you’re definitely happy with that result.”
Elliott finished with 17 saves, including a dazzling second-period pad stop on Ben King. Kelsey was even better with a 23-save performance.
“He was solid for sure,” said Konowalchuk, whose club also rang one shot off a post and another off a crossbar. “He made some really good saves for us. Good for him.”
Blades head coach Brennan Sonne didn’t like his club’s play out of the gate and lack of offensive pressure throughout the contest.
“We didn’t start on time, didn’t like our start,” said Sonne, who played 15 games with the Rebels in the 2007-07 season.
“We had good spurts in the second and third, not consistent enough however . . . not enough guys really raising their level tonight.”
Captain Jayden Grubbe spoke with reporters following his team's series opening win… #RDREBELS I #WHLPlayoffs I #RDvsSAS I #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/Y0274Tppxw
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) April 15, 2023
Notable: Both teams were zero-for-three on the power play . . . The three stars: (1) Kelsey, (2) Larson and (3) Chiasson . . . Sedoff had a multi-point game with a goal and an assist . . . Games 3 and 4 will go Tuesday and Wednesday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Fifth to seventh games, if needed, will be played next Friday in Saskatoon, Sunday, April 23 at the Centrium and Tuesday, April 25 at the SaskTel Centre.
