Penalty Kill falters as Wheat Kings fall in Red Deer

The Brandon Wheat Kings gave nothing up at even strength against the Red Deer Rebels. Unfortunately, a recently hot Rebels’ power play made them pay time and time again.

Caleb Hadland and Joby Baumuller scored but the Wheat Kings fell 4-2 to the Rebels, with all four Rebels tallies coming on the power play. Ethan Eskit stopped 32 shots in the loss.

“I didn’t like too much about it,” said Wheat Kings’ head coach and GM Marty Murray. “Five-on-five we generated a little bit in the second, but obviously the special teams were the difference in the game. They had four power play goals. We had a five-minute major… we had a chance to put the game away, we don’t, and they do.”

After the Wheat Kings missed on their first crack at the man advantage, the Rebels made good on theirs. Eskit made the first stop, but the Rebels battled for the rebound, and Matthew Gard found it and stuffed home his 14th for the 1-0 lead.

Another Rebels’ power play goal extended their lead in the second period. This time it was Jhett Larson off the rush, finding a small gap between Eskit’s pads to make it 2-0.

Hadland did it all himself on the Wheat Kings opening tally, and it was the prettiest of his career to date. Starting from his own zone, Hadland blazed his way past checkers, all the way through centre before toe dragging his way right to the slot and snapping home his 20th of the season.

Another strike off the rush got the Wheat Kings into a tie game. Gio Pantelas left it in the neutral zone for Baumuller, who powered his way into Rebels’ territory, cut to the slot, and fired his 16th of the season past Peyton Shore.

But again the Wheat Kings saw a missed opportunity on the power play come back to haunt them. After failing to convert on a five-minute major (which became three after an offsetting minor) they gave the Rebels exactly the same power play opportunity. The Rebels made theirs count, with Gard scoring twice, once a redirection and the second time parked in front and tapping home a cross-crease feed.

The Wheat Kings couldn’t break through with the net empty and took the 4-2 loss. They’re right back to work tomorrow in Edmonton at 8:00 Central Time.