Rebels tame Tigers 6-3 for third-straight win
By Aidan Serra
The Red Deer Rebels got multi-point nights out of five different players Friday on their way to an impressive 6-3 win, their third-straight over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
This after the Rebels downed the Tigers by scores of 4-2 and 4-3 last weekend.
“They’ve got great players, and our guys, when we don’t have the puck as much, we have to check the right way, and we did tonight,” noted Rebels head coach Dave Struch, “and every time that they have the big chances, our goaltender was there for us.”
WHO DID WHAT
Matthew Gard – RD – 2 Goals, 1 Assist, +3
Carson Birnie – RD – 2 goals
Chase Wutzke – RD – 46 saves
Bryce Pickford – MH – 2 goals, 1 assist
Gavin McKenna – MH – 2 assists
HOW IT HAPPENED
Red Deer once again opened the scoring early as Matthew Gard put home a perfect pass from Trae Wilke 4:36 into the game.
Too easy on the two-on-one for Trae Wilke and Matthew Gard!@Rebelshockey pic.twitter.com/WL3JTRz9Cc
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 5, 2024
It was 2-0 as Carson Birnie, not long after missing on a pair of great scoring chances, slammed home a rebound for a power play tally.
Here's the goal that doubled our lead 🚨⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KTWSolwwcn
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) October 5, 2024
That was all through one, but Red Deer wasted little time before extending their lead in the second period with Gard notching his second of the night, chipping one home from a bad angle to make it 3-0 less than two minutes into the middle frame. Jack Bousquet, playing in his first WHL game, notched the lone assist.
Bryce Pickford’s well-placed wrist shot cut Red Deer’s lead to 3-1, but only briefly, thanks to a heads-up play by Carson Birnie, who slung a sneaky shot past Tigers goaltender Jordan Switzer to make things 4-1 Rebels with another power play marker. Switzer gave way to Ethan McCallum between the pipes for Medicine Hat.
Jonas Woo’s point shot found a way through traffic to cut the Rebels lead again. But Red Deer’s response was even quicker this time, taking a mere 53 seconds to reinstate their three-goal lead. Youngster Beckett Hamilton took a couple of tries to get the puck on goal, but he eventually forced it through before Jhett Larson deposited the rebound to give Red Deer a 5-2 lead.
Larson's first of the new season⬇️#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/rAMBXJlNKc
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) October 5, 2024
Derek Thurston later jumped up to join the rush and fed a perfect cross-ice feed to an oncoming Wilke, who took the pass from skate to stick before picking the top corner perfectly and giving the Rebels a four-goal lead through forty minutes.
Wilke's got his first of the season ⬇️#RDREBELS | #WHL pic.twitter.com/KmAQwLlrWM
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) October 5, 2024
Bryce Pickford on a power play picked up his second goal of the game late in the third to pull the score back within three, but that’s all the Tigers would muster, and Wutzke’s 18 third period saves helped seal Red Deer’s 6-3 win.
The Rebels improve to 3-0-1-0 on the season and are now the lone WHL club without a regulation loss. Medicine Hat falls to 1-3-0-0.
THREE STARS
1. Gard – RD
2. Birnie – RD
3. Matteo Fabrizi – RD (2 assists)
WHAT THEY SAID
Postgame comments from Rebels head coach Dave Struch and forward Matthew Gard.
NEXT UP
The Rebels are right back in action tomorrow night at the Peavey Mart Centrium versus the Calgary Hitmen. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
