Rebels take conference leading Blades to overtime, fall 3-2
A Tuesday night tilt at the Peavy Mart Centrium resulted in a 3-2 overtime loss for the Red Deer Rebels at the hands of the conference leading Saskatoon Blades.
Ending a four-game home stand, Chase Wutzke put up a stellar performance in net for Red Deer, stopping 41 shots, while Samuel Drancak lit the lamp for his fourth of the season and Trae Wilke earned his eighth.
The match-up was the third time the two teams have met with the Rebels now 2-0-1-0 versus the Blades.
STATS STORY
Tyler Parr (SASK) – 2 goals, OT winner
Chase Wutzke (RD) – 41 saves
Samuel Drancak (RD) – 1 goal
Trae Wilke (RD) – 1 goal
HOW IT HAPPENED
Samuel Drancak earned Red Deer their first lead of 2025 at the 15:27 mark in the first period. A turnover by the Blades defence allowed Drancak an open lane to the net, trickling the puck through the legs of Saskatoon’s goaltender Evan Gardner.
Drancak's got it. #RDREBELS | #WHL https://t.co/nYqj5sslUm
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 8, 2025
The Rebels defended their lead well into the second period until Saskatoon point man Brayden Klimpke found the right toe of Zach Olsen for a deflection goal past Wutzke and a 1-1 game.
Parker MacDougall, making his WHL debut, made some noise as he squared up at centre ice for a spirited tilt with Blades blue liner Jordan Martin. MacDougall was acquired through a trade with Calgary.
After being heavily outshot in the middle frame, the Rebels reached another gear in the third period as they put 14 shots on net in the 20 minutes.
The offensive push was rewarded with a go-ahead goal by Trae Wilke. Nolan Schmidt and Wilke blazed down the ice on a two-on-one, with Schmidt’s pass landing in Wilke’s skates before he kicked it to his stick and snapped a shot past a sliding Gardner.
Silky, Wilke, silky. #RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/Vg5vUyKSUg
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) January 8, 2025
The Blades tied the game just 46 seconds later, however, as Tanner Scott wrapped around the Rebels’ net, passing to Tyler Parr in the high slot for a one-timer blast past Wutzke.
As both teams created chances, regulation time wouldn’t be enough to decide a winner.
Extra time was only needed for 43 seconds before Saskatoon’s Parr struck again, putting in Ben Riche’s rebound for the winner.
The game ended with Saskatoon outshooting Red Deer 44-27.
The Rebels successfully killed off all four penalties they were assessed but went without a power play on the night.
THREE STARS
- Wutzke (RD)
- Parr (SAS)
- Siepmann (SAS)
WHAT THEY SAID
Rebels head coach Dave Struch…
NOTABLES
Rebels scratches for the game were Cohen Poulin, Ollie Josephson (lower – day-to-day), Kasper Pikkarainen (lower – indefinite), Jhett Larson (upper – week-to-week), Dmitri Toporowski and Peyton Shore (upper – week-to-week) … Wutzke was backed up by Matthew Kondro, who’s signing with the Rebels was announced earlier Tuesday … Blades forward Kohen Lodge, son of Rebels assistant coach Erik Lodge, played his first WHL game in his hometown … Saskatoon was playing their first game since Monday’s blockbuster trade that sent defenceman Tanner Molendyk to Medicine Hat.
NEXT UP
The Rebels hit the road Friday, January 10, to play the Medicine Hat Tigers at 7 P.M. at Co-op Place (106.7 REWIND Radio, CHL TV).
