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Red Deer Rebels

Rebels Snare Crucial Shootout Win over Visiting Ice

March 3, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


One could say the Red Deer won ugly Friday night, or they simply made the most of their scoring chances.

Actually, both suggestions would be accurate.

The Rebels directed a mere 17 shots at Kootenay Ice netminder Matt Berlin through 65 minutes, but came away with a 5-4 WHL shootout victory in front of a recorded gathering of 4,324 at the Centrium.

"We never really played all that well here tonight. I thought in the first two periods we had a lot of turnovers and we were second on pucks," said Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter.

"We weren't great in our own zone and our neutral zone play tonight with the puck, with the turnovers . . . there was a lot."

But a win is a win is a win, and Red Deer was able to move seven points clear of the Ice in the race for the final playoff berth in the Central Division.

"We were fortunate enough to get a win, fortunate enough to get two points," said Sutter. "We obviously will take it, but it wasn't one of the better games we've had here in the last month."

The visitors never led at any point Friday, but they displayed a strong work ethic and, with Berlin on the bench in favour of an extra attacker, forced overtime when Brett Davis, from just inside the point, beat Rebels goaltender Riley Lamb through a crowd with 58 seconds left in the third period.

Neither team could cash in during the overtime frame and Mason McCarty notched the lone goal in the shootout.

"I didn't think we were at our best out there tonight, but two points are two points right now and we got them, so we can't be upset about it," said Rebels veteran forward Brandon Hagel, who set up two goals and was selected as the game's third star.

With the Rebels on the power play, rookie Alex Morozoff scored his sixth of the season from a goalmouth scramble at 8:30 of the opening frame. But Colton Kroeker answered for the Ice just over two minutes later when he pounced on a puck that bounced over the stick of Red Deer defenceman Hunter Donohoe deep in the Red Deer zone.

McCarty potted his 35th of the season on a one-timer early in the second period. Hagel won a battle along the boards and fed his linemate in the low slot.

Reese Johnson gave the hosts a two-goal lead at 14:16 of the period following a turnover at the Kootenay blueline. Johnson moved into the top of the left circle and beat Berlin with a wrist shot.

But again the Ice replied, with Michael King catching the top of the net from the right circle at 16:25.

The visitors kept coming in the third and pulled even when Colton Veloso cruised through the low slot and buried a corner pass from Jonathan Smart with 4:31 remaining in regulation time.

The Rebels moved back in front 74 seconds later when Hagel put a couple of nifty moves on Kootenay defenders before slipping the puck to Chris Douglas, who made no mistake while staring down Berlin.

But Davis came through for Kootenay in the final minute, setting the stage for the scoreless overtime and a shootout that featured just two Red Deer participants after Lamb denied all three Ice shooters.

Hagel agreed that the Ice looked like the hungrier team for much of the evening.

"It was a must win for them," he said. "They came out hard and obviously we didn't respond the right way the first two periods.

"I thought we battled a little better in the third and like I said, it's a win."

Notable: The Ice held a 31-17 advantage in shots, and while the majority of their attempts were of the non-dangerous variety, Lamb was forced to make a handful of quality saves . . . Lamb was honoured prior to the game as the Mitchell and Jewell Rebels player of the month for February. The second-year stopper posted an 8-0 record during the month and was twice named the WHL goalie of the week. He was also selected as the CHL netminder of the week and on Thursday was named the CHL goalie of the month . . . The extra-time game was the Rebels' 21st of the season. The shootout was Kootenay's first . . . Selected as the game's first and second stars were Ice forward Kroeker and Peyton Krebs.

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