Rebels snap road losing streak with 3-2 win in Prince Albert
A big night on special teams helped the Red Deer Rebels pick up a 3-2 win over the Prince Albert Raiders Tuesday night at the Art Hauser Centre.
It was Red Deer’s third-straight win and fourth in their last five games overall to improve to 13-10-1-2 on the season. Prince Albert (11-9-3-0) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
STATS STORY
Hunter Mayo (RD) – 1 goal (ppg, game winner), 1 assist
Kalan Lind (RD) – 2 assists
Chase Wutzke (RD) – 41 saves
Tomas Mrsic (PA) – 1 goal
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a low-event goalless first period, Red Deer opened the scoring early in the second period while on a power play. It was Derek Thurston finding a shooting lane through traffic to notch his second goal of the season past Raiders netminder Dominic Fortin.
Derek Thurston's goal to make it 1-0 Rebels 🚨#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/qHCx5i2bmm
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 4, 2024
Prince Albert didn’t trail for long, with former Tri-City American Lukas Dragicevic doing an excellent job to set up Riley Boychuk for the tying goal just 92 seconds later.
The game remained tied through the rest of the second period, with the shots on goal through forty minutes reflecting the razor-thin contest.
Red Deer broke out early in the third. To start, Carson Birnie found Samuel Drancak in alone who made no mistake in giving Red Deer a 2-1 lead.
Drancak's go-ahead goal⬇️#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/aYGxGnRl6A
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 4, 2024
After earning another power play, Red Deer extended the lead further when Hunter Mayo’s point shot found its way home, giving Red Deer the game’s first two-goal lead, and Mayo his ninth goal of the season.
A bomb from the back end 💣
Mayo's powerplay goal👇#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/3NyIB6nZqj
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 4, 2024
The Rebels then endured a flurry of pressure from Prince Albert that lasted throughout the rest of the final twenty minutes. Tomas Mrsic scored to pull the Raiders back within one with 3:17 remaining, but Wutzke made sure that was as close as it got.
Final shots on goal were 43-28 in favour of Prince Albert. Red Deer was 2-for-4 on the power play and held Prince Albert’s top-ranked power play off the board at 0-for-4.
THREE STARS
1. Wutzke (RD)
2. Mayo (RD)
3. Boychuk (PA)
WHAT THEY SAID
Coach Struch on tonight’s win in Prince Albert #RDREBELS I #WHL pic.twitter.com/YLly5n5CP9
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) December 4, 2024
NOTES
The Rebels won their 1,100th game in franchise history … This was the club’s first road win since November 4 in Calgary … Kalan Lind had two assists in his return to the Rebels lineup … Talon Brigley had an assist to run his point streak to three games … Rebels scratches for the game were Matteo Fabrizi (upper), Jace Weir (illness), Ollie Josephson (upper), Kasper Pikkarainen (lower), and Jhett Larson (upper).
NEXT UP
The Rebels are right back in action Wednesday night versus the Saskatoon Blades. Game time at SaskTel Place is 6 p.m. MT (106.7 REWIND Radio, CHL TV).
