2022 WHL Playoffs Preview: (3) Red Deer Rebels vs. (2) Edmonton Oil Kings
May 5, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release
The Second Round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs begins Thursday, May 5, and WHL.ca is previewing each of the four second-round matchups. In the first of our four second-round previews, we examine the Edmonton Oil Kings and the Red Deer Rebels.
They finished with the two best records in the Central Division, now the Edmonton Oil Kings and Red Deer Rebels will decide who stands alone from the province of Alberta in the 2022 WHL Playoffs.
The Oil Kings and Rebels meet in a best-of-seven campaign beginning Thursday in Edmonton (7:00 p.m. MT, Rogers Place) that promises to be just as close as their 10-game regular season series.
Edmonton swept the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the First Round, surrendering just six goals in four games.
Red Deer needed six games to dispatch the Brandon Wheat Kings in the opening round, a series that required extra time twice, eventually ending on a triple-overtime game-winner from Rebels captain Jayden Grubbe this past Sunday in Manitoba.
On paper, the Oil Kings are imposing. Eight NHL prospects dot the lineup, four of whom were selected in the first round of their respective NHL Drafts. Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther, the ninth-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, scored 45 times during the regular season. Five of his teammates also hit the 20-goal mark.
The Rebels have been paced by their dynamic duo of Ben King and Vancouver Canucks prospect Arshdeep Bains, who led the WHL in scoring with 52 goals and 112 points, respectively.
The season series, though, was close. Each Club won five times, while seven of the 10 encounters were decided by two or fewer goals. Red Deer and Edmonton met four times during the month of April, with each team winning twice.
Despite their proximity in the 2021-22 Regular Season standings, and in Wild Rose Country, 2022 marks just the second WHL Playoffs meeting between the Oil Kings and Rebels. Red Deer swept a first-round matchup between the two Clubs 11 years ago.
Game Breakers
Edmonton Oil Kings: After matching a franchise record with 45 goals during the regular season, Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Guenther kept clicking in the First Round versus Lethbridge. Edmonton's hometown hero scored four times in four games against the Hurricanes and is the Oil Kings' offensive catalyst. He led Edmonton in scoring versus Red Deer during the regular season with 13 points in nine games.
Red Deer Rebels: The duo of Ben King and Arshdeep Bains has been unstoppable for Red Deer this season, and both come into this series with the Oil Kings with similar numbers. King recorded a hat-trick in the Rebels' series-clincher versus Brandon; both he and Bains completed the series with eight points, and both had 13 points in the 10 regular-season meetings with Edmonton in 2021-22.
Goaltending
Edmonton Oil Kings: Sebastian Cossa earned WHL Goaltender of the Month honours following an April that saw him post a 6-1-0-0 record in regular season and playoff play. The Detroit Red Wings prospect commanded the crease in round one versus Lethbridge, posting a 1.50 goals-against average and .936 save percentage in the series. He finished 3-3-1-0 against Red Deer during the regular season.
Red Deer Rebels: 2022 NHL Draft prospect Chase Coward played every minute of Red Deer's six-game series win versus Brandon, posting a 1.45 GAA and .946 SV% to help the Rebels advance. Red Deer has enjoyed balance between the pipes all season long, with Coward's running mate, Connor Ungar, collecting three of the Rebels' five victories versus Edmonton during the regular season.
X-Factors
Edmonton Oil Kings: Amid a lineup that features eight NHL prospects, forward Carter Souch flies under the radar when his numbers dictate he should be front and centre in any opponent's game-plan. The 20-year-old put up 71 points during the regular season, adding three goals in four games against Lethbridge in the First Round of the 2022 WHL Playoffs. Souch finished fourth among Oil Kings skaters in shots on goal against the Hurricanes with 14.
Red Deer Rebels: Longtime Edmonton Oil Kings forward Liam Keeler knows his side's opponent better than anyone in the Red Deer dressing room. The 21-year-old was acquired by the Rebels during the off-season, and despite collecting only one goal in Red Deer's series win versus Brandon, Keeler has proven he can catch fire at a moment's notice. Keeler enjoyed a stretch of eight consecutive games with a goal during the regular season, which tied for the longest such streak of the 2021-22 campaign.
Series Schedule
Game Visitor Home Date Time
1 Red Deer @ Edmonton Thursday, May 5 7:00
2 Red Deer @ Edmonton Saturday, May 7 7:00
3 Edmonton @ Red Deer Monday, May 9 7:00
4 Edmonton @ Red Deer Wednesday, May 11 7:00
5 * Red Deer @ Edmonton Friday, May 13 7:00
6 * Edmonton @ Red Deer Saturday, May 14 7:00
7 * Red Deer @ Edmonton TBA
* = if necessary
Season Series
Edmonton (3) at Red Deer (2) - April 16, 2022
Red Deer (4) at Edmonton (6) - April 9, 2022
Red Deer (5) at Edmonton (4), OT - April 3, 2022
Edmonton (3) at Red Deer (4) - April 2, 2022
Edmonton (4) at Red Deer (0) - February 11, 2022
Red Deer (3) at Edmonton (5) - November 24, 2021
Edmonton (3) at Red Deer (4), OT - October 30, 2021
Red Deer (2) at Edmonton (1) - October 17, 2021
Edmonton (1) at Red Deer (4) - October 2, 2021
Red Deer (1) at Edmonton (4) - October 1, 2021
Through WHL Live on CHL TV, fans can enjoy every single scheduled game throughout the 2022 WHL Playoffs with the purchase of a WHL All-Access Pass at the low price of $59.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.
WHL Live - 2022 WHL Playoffs Packages
All-Access: $59.99
Round-by-Round: $19.99 per round
24-Hour Access: $8.99
* all prices in Canadian dollars
+ does not include applicable taxes and fees
WHL Live on CHL TV is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit WHLLive.com for complete details.
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