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Red Deer Rebels

Rebels Blow Late Lead and Fall to Blades in Overtime

October 13, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


SASKATOON - One might suggest that the Red Deer Rebels were Maxed out Friday night at the SaskTel Centre.

Max Gerlach was a one-man show for the Saskatoon Blades, firing all three goals - including the overtime winner - in a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory over the Rebels witnessed by 3,239 fans.

Gerlach completed his hat trick by beating Rebels netminder Ethan Anders high to the glove side at 3:44 of the extra session.

The 20-year-old winger forced overtime with a goal at 19:44 of the third period, coming with netminder Nolan Maier on the Blades bench in favour of an extra attacker.

The Rebels had an excellent opportunity to seal the victory with just over three minutes remaining in regulation time when Alex Morozoff was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked to the ice on a short break. But the second-year Rebel couldn't solve Maier and the visitors were left clinging to a slim one-goal lead.

The Rebels also wasted a few opportunities in overtime before surrendering the winner.

"We had our chances," said Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter. "You have a penalty shot with three minutes left and you don't score on that. Then you're up one and they score with 16 seconds left.

"In overtime we had four two-on-ones and got one shot. Alex (Alexeyev) had a scoring chance and he missed the net. We had our chances, we just didn't capitalize."

Red Deer led 1-0 after one period on Oleg Zaytsev's fourth goal of the season a mere 51 seconds after the opening faceoff. Zaytsev shovelled the puck behind the Blades net and then buried a return feed from Jeff de Wit.

Gerlach pulled the hosts even with a five-on-three power-play goal at 7:10 of the second period, a marker than was strikingly similar to his second tally as his one-timer from the left circle got past Anders

De Wit, with his sixth of the season, restored Red Deer's lead just past the midway point of the period , deflecting Alexeyev's offering from the top of the left circle past Maier with Blades star forward Kirby Dach serving a slashing penalty.

The game was evenly-played through the first 40 minutes before the Blades held a slight edge in play in the third period, in which Anders made 12 of his 34 saves.

Anders, as has been the case since the first game of the season, was stellar, coming up with huge stops on Logan Christensen and Gerlach, as well as Eric Florchuk and Dach, the latter two saves on the same shift.

"Andy played well, he had a good game," said Sutter, who was pleased with his club's work ethic.

"The effort was there, but some of our younger players have to be more consistent for us," said the Rebels boss. "They didn't give us a 60-minute game tonight. We relied on our older guys and we need our third and fourth lines to be better for us."

The Rebels conclude their brief two-game road trip Saturday against the Prince Albert Raiders.

"We got a point tonight but should have had two," said Sutter. "But we'll take one and move forward. We can't dwell on tonight's game, we have to get ready for our next game which happens quickly."

Maier finished with 23 saves for the Blades.

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