No Time Like the Present for the Rebels to Get Back in Gear
January 1, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release
Consistency is the buzz word for the Red Deer Rebels as they head into their next three WHL contests, starting with Wednesday's home-ice date with the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The Rebels, in recent weeks, have been here, there and everywhere in terms of performance, a bugaboo that had dropped them from first to third in the Central Division.
Their next two games, including Friday at Calgary, are divisional clashes and the Rebels have to be successful in both to regain at least second spot. Red Deer also hosts the Victoria Royals Saturday.
"The divisional games from here through the rest of the year are going to be important," GM/head coach Brent Sutter said Tuesday.
"We gave to win these head-to-head games (versus Central opponents) and the key for us will be to just play well and play well for 60 minutes.
"Our consistency from period to period hasn't been where we want it to be and some of our younger players have flat-lined. We have to get them jump-started and going again. They've kind of levelled off."
The Rebels are three points back of the first-place Edmonton Oil Kings with four games in hand and one behind the Hurricanes having played one fewer game.
The Medicine Hat Tigers are just a single point back of the Rebels and have played three more games than Red Deer, and the fifth-place Calgary Hitmen are a mere six points in arrears and have played two more games.
Cleary, the division is tightening and part of that trend is due to the Rebels playing just one game above .500 in their last 10.
Red Deer has struggled in third periods in recent games. For example, they dominated the Oil Kings in the middle frame of a contest Sunday in the provincial capital, then suffered a meltdown in the third, surrendering four goals in a 5-4 loss.
"Again, it's the inconsistency part of our game," said Sutter. "We have games where we haven't been good in the first period and played well in the second and third.
"In other games, we've been good for the first 30 minutes and then our play turns off. We don't get the momentum back when we lose it.
"At the end of the day, whether you're one goal up or one down, you have to stay with your game. There's a team game in place and we can't get off that. We've found ways in the last month to be inconsistent within that."
Meanwhile, the flu bug has bitten the Rebels, with three players - Ryan Gottfried, Zak Smith and Hunter Donohoe - questionable for Wednesday's game.
Brett Davis sat out a game last weekend with the illness and Jeff de Wit also suffered a bout of the flu earlier.
Scouting Report
Rebels vs. Lethbridge Hurricanes
Wednesday, 7 p.m., Centrium
The Hurricanes come into the contest with a 6-2-1-1 record in their last 10 games and with a 19-10-4-3 record are second in the Central Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference . . . Lethbridge boasts plenty of offence, with an impressive seven players averaging at least a point per game. Leading the way is RW Nick Henry with 18 goals and 56 points. Rounding out the list are C Jake Leschyshyn (24-26-50), C Dylan Cozens (21-29-50), C Jordy Bellerive (18-29-47), LW Taylor Ross (20-20-40), D Caden Addison (6-33-39) and RW Jake Elmer (16-20-36) . . . The "Canes have struggled defensively though and neither of their goaltenders has stood out this season. Reece Klassen has a 3.57 goals-against average and .891 save percentage and Carl Tetachuk has numbers of 3.49 and .892 . . . Leschyshyn and Henry were selected in the 2017 NHL entry draft, with Leschyshyn going to Vegas in the second round and Henry to Colorado in the fourth. Bellerive signed a free agent deal with Pittsburgh in 2017, Addison was taken by the Penguins in the second round last year and Cozens is projected as a top-five pick this year.
Injuries: Lethbridge - D Igor Merezhko (upper body, day-to-day). Red Deer - LW Dallon Melin (upper body, day-to-day).
Special teams: Lethbridge - Power play 27.8 per cent, second overall; penalty kill 73.8 per cent, 19th. Red Deer - Power play 20.9 per cent, 14th overall; penalty kill 75.2 per cent, 17th.
Western Hockey League Stories from January 1, 2019
- Pats Stopped by Raiders to Open 2019 - Regina Pats
- T-Birds Acquire Keltie Jeri-Leon, Michael Horon and Draft Pick from Hurricanes - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Hurricanes Acquire Hughes from Thunderbirds - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Blades Defeat Broncos in New Years Day Matinee - Swift Current Broncos
- Blades Open 2019 with a Bang - Saskatoon Blades
- Giants Fall 3-1 in Edmonton to Kick off 2019 - Vancouver Giants
- Raiders Open 2019 With A Win In Regina - Prince Albert Raiders
- Hitmen Power past Royals, 6-3 - Calgary Hitmen
- Royals Tripped up by Hitmen - Victoria Royals
- No Time Like the Present for the Rebels to Get Back in Gear - Red Deer Rebels
- Silvertips Acquire 27-Goal Scorer and Left Wing Zack Andrusiak from the Seattle Thunderbirds - Everett Silvertips
- T-Birds Acquire Sean Richards, Prospect Forward, and 3 Draft Picks from Everett - Seattle Thunderbirds
- T-Birds Sign Goalie Roddy Ross - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Preview: Blades Host Broncos in New Year's Matinee - Saskatoon Blades
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Tuesday, January 1 vs. Victoria - Calgary Hitmen
- Game Day Preview: Pats Kick off 2019 at Home to Prince Albert New Years Day - Regina Pats
- Hawks Ring in 2019 with a Win - Portland Winterhawks
- Ams Ring in New Year with Dominate 6-1 Win over Chiefs - Tri-City Americans
- Winterhawks Down T-Birds in Annual New Year's Eve Game - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Jesse Makaj Named December's Player of the Month Presented by Jewels on Ninth - Kootenay Ice
- Penny Coyle Named December's Community Member of the Month Presented by Spring Honda - Kootenay Ice
- Royals Ring in New Year with OT Victory over ICE - Kootenay Ice
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
