Rebels power play dominates in pre-season win over Lethbridge
The Red Deer Rebels cashed in four power play goals on their way to a 5-2 pre-season win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Saturday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
The trio of Samuel Drancak, Jhett Larson and Beckett Hamilton clicked right from their opening shift versus the Hurricanes as they combined for all five Rebels goals and a total of eight points on the night.
Hamilton struck first 7:29 into period one as he put one past Lethbridge goalie Brady Smith for a power play tally.
Leo Braillard tied the game for the Hurricanes with man advantage goal just over eight minutes later.
Just 26 seconds later, Drancak went five-hole on Smith for a breakaway goal and a 2-1 Rebels lead through 20 minutes.
The game was tied for just 26 seconds🚨 pic.twitter.com/AC192ifM8A
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) September 8, 2024
Hamilton sniped again 5:50 into period two, again on the power play, for a 3-1 Rebels lead.
Larson to Birnie to Hamilton to the back of the net for a beauty pic.twitter.com/8wtRELVROU
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) September 8, 2024
Chase Petersen netted his second goal of the pre-season with just under seven minutes left in the period to make it a 3-2 game through 40.
Drancak poked home a loose puck for a 4-2 Rebels lead 4:03 into period three. Larson then fired one home off a perfect pass from Hamilton for a power play goal at 7:33 to cap off the scoring in this one.
Make that another goal for the Red Deer powerplay, too! pic.twitter.com/ggaKX5qRLr
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) September 8, 2024
Taylor Tabashniuk made 22 saves in his first start of the pre-season to earn the win in net for the Rebels. Red Deer outshot Lethbridge 34-24 and was officially 4-for-8 on the power play (the game ended with Red Deer on a 5-on-3) while Lethbridge was 1-for-6.
Carson Birnie had a big night for the Rebels with three assists. Quentin Bourne had a helper as well.
Red Deer is now 1-1 in pre-season play. Next up is a home pre-season tilt versus Medicine Hat on Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. at the Peavey Mart Centrium.
NOTES – The Rebels have reassigned three players following this weekend’s preseason action — Tucker Tullikopf (Red Deer Chiefs U18 AAA), Cash Arcand-Vandale (Saskatoon Contacts U18 AAA) and Luke Jamieson (Edge School U18 AAA) … These moves leave the Rebels with 28 players on their pre-season roster, including six players headed to NHL camps.
Postgame comments from head coach Dave Struch and forward Beckett Hamilton…
