Scoring woes continue as Rebels lose in Edmonton
Oil Kings 3 Rebels 1
EDMONTON — Two games, two goals.
Two losses.
The Red Deer Rebels dropped a 3-1 WHL decision to the Edmonton Oil Kings for the second night in a row Saturday before 9,764 fans at Rogers Place.
To their credit, the Rebels carried the play to their hosts in the first period, but four successive penalties halted their momentum and they failed to muster any sustained pressure until late in the contest.
“You can’t win scoring one goal,” said Rebels head coach Derrick Walser, whose club managed just a single tally in an identical 3-1 loss to their provincial rivals — the last place team in the Eastern Conference — Friday in Red Deer.
“You have to be desperate, you have to be willing to get inside the dots. There were too many opportunities to shoot pucks and drive and no one would take it to the paint.
“Too much over-passing. Their goalie saw too many pucks and we weren’t hungry enough to score. I thought we were OK in the first, driving and moving our legs. We just passed up too many opportunities to shoot pucks.”
Oil Kings forward Cole Miller notched the game’s first goal at 4:36 of the second period, driving down the right side, cutting to the net and tucking the puck between the pads of netminder Chase Wutzke.
The Rebels were penalized late in the first period and were then assessed three more before the middle frame was 12 minutes old, allowing the Oil Kings, who were then tagged for a pair of infractions late in the period, to hold a territorial advantage.
“With four penalties in a row a lot of guys did double duty,” said Walser. “It takes a lot of energy, a lot of flow out of the bench. It wears on you.”
Gracyn Sawchyn notched the eventual winner 7:12 into the third period. On a three-on-two break, Ty Nash held up in the right circle and fed Sawchyn, who beat Wutzke low to the glove side from the low slot.
The Rebels finally broke through with just over three minutes remaining. Ollie Josephson bounced a puck off the end boards and directly in front, where Carson Birnie chipped it home for his 13th of the season.
The visitors pushed hard from there with Wutzke on the bench, but couldn’t find the equalizer as the Oil Kings had active sticks and blocked shots, one of their strengths the entire game.
Adam Jecho sealed the deal for the Oil Kings with an empty net marker with 7.5 seconds remaining.
The Rebels return to action Monday at 2 p.m. when they host the Lethbridge Hurricanes in a Family Day matinee.
“We have to boost the group and find a way to get a win here,” said Walser, whose club has dropped nine of its last 10 games after dialling up a nine-game win streak.
“There’s a bit more desperation in the group but we’re not quite willing to get to that level yet.”
Notable: Wutzke made 33 saves while Oil Kings goalie Hudson Perry stopped 30 shots while posting his first ever WHL win . . . The Rebels were minus the services of three forwards — Kalan Lind, who sat out with an illness, and Jeramiah Roberts and Carson Latimer, both injured . . . Defenceman Quentin Bourne started the game at forward for Red Deer but left in the first period after being cross-checked into the boards by Ismail Abougouche . . . Red Deer was zero-for-six on the power play, Edmonton zero-for-five . . . The three stars: (1) Perry, (2) Sawchyn and (3) Nash . . . Monday’s game will double as Sockey Day in Red Deer, in support of United Way Central Alberta. Fans attending the game will receive a pair of socks, provided by generous community partners, or bring their own to toss on the ice during the game. The socks will be gathered by volunteers and distributed through various agencies to people in need throughout central Alberta . . . In addition, fans are encouraged to stick around after the game to help ‘paint the ice’. Paint and brushes will be supplied.
(Photos by Andy Devlin)
