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Red Deer Rebels

Rebels Fend off Pesky Kootenay Ice Squad to Win in Overtime

November 18, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


One night after rolling over the visiting Kelowna Rockets to the tune of 7-0, the Red Deer Rebels learned some life lessons Saturday night at the Centrium.

The Rebels were extended to the limit by the WHL Central Division cellar dwelling Kootenay Ice and needed an overtime power-play goal to pull out a 5-4 victory before 3,782 fans.

"It was a battle, it was a hard game. As soon as one team seemed to get momentum the other team would strike back and get the momentum back and even it up," said Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter.

"Coming off a game like we had last night, you have to park it and move on. Your preparation can't be any different than it was yesterday. We allowed a bit of frustration to set into our game the first two periods . . . there was some adversity from just the way the game was being played and some adversity from the coach.

"You learn from that."

The see-saw match ended 2:50 into the extra frame, with Rebels captain Reese Johnson one-timing a perfect cross-ice pass from Brandon Hagel, who was fed by point man Alex Alexeyev.

"We practise those types of situations lots and obviously getting a one-timer through the seam is pretty huge. It was a nice pass from Hages," said Johnson, who completed a hat trick performance with the winner.

"It's awesome. Obviously winning at home in OT is one of the best feelings in hockey."

Affiliate player Owen Pederson opened the scoring for the visitors barely five minutes into the contest, finding the five-hole on netminder Ethan Anders on an odd-man break.

The Rebels pulled even on the power play a little over five minutes later, as defenceman Dawson Barteaux passed over to Hagel, who found Jeff de Wit on the doorstep for his 14th goal of the season.

Ice rookie Connor McClennon restored Kootenay's lead early in the second period. Immediately after Red Deer's Zak Smith rang a shot off the post, the play turned up ice and McClennon scored on yet another two-on-one.

"We turned pucks over in certain areas, especially in the first two periods . . . along the bluelines and in the neutral zone," said Sutter.

"They're a good transition team and if you don't manage pucks the right way and don't support where the pucks are at and get above the play, then you give up odd man rushes and that's what happened in the first two periods.

"That's just a focus thing and again, because something doesn't go exactly right on one shift you can't let it bother you and in the first two periods we allowed it to."

Alex Morozoff went hard to the net and banged home a pass from Smith at 9:04 of the second frame and Johnson notched a power-play marker, from a goalmouth scramble, just over four minutes later to give the home team its first lead of the evening.

But again the Ice responded, with McClennon getting his stick on a bouncing puck for his second of the night and fourth of the season at 16:07.

The Rebels snapped the 3-3 deadlock on a short-handed marker from Johnson 2:25 into the third, the Rebels captain cashing a nifty feed from Hagel while driving to the net.

The Ice, however, tallied on the power play at 3:40 when Jonathan Smart's wrist shot from the point glanced off a Rebels player and past Anders

The Rebels had numerous scoring opportunities through the remainder of the period, outshooting their guests 11-4, but several volleys missed the mark and Ice netminder Jesse Makaj, who finished with 35 saves, came up big.

"Obviously we weren't happy with some areas in the first two periods but I think we regrouped after the first two and had a pretty good third," said Johnson.

Sutter had a message for his troops after 40 minutes.

"Like I told them, it's not always going to be perfect for you," said the Rebels boss. "You have to fight through that stuff and you're going to get challenged and you have to respond the right way.

"For the most part, you never measure individuals and their character when times are going good, it's going to be when times are tough and for the first two periods it was a tough game.

"We let it get to us a little bit and then in the third we settled down and were much better. They (Ice) played well in the third and we had to match their intensity and emotion and I thought we did a good job of that.

"In the overtime we were good too. We did a good job in our own zone, stayed on the right side of pucks and got an opportunity and capitalized on it."

Notable: Anders made 26 saves while posting his 13th win of the season. The Rebels improved to 15-5-1-0 and, coupled with Edmonton's 3-1 loss to visiting Kelowna, moved into sole possession of first place in the Central Division. The Rebels also have three games in hand on the Oil Kings . . . The game's three stars were (1) Johnson, (2) McClennon and (3) Hagel, who picked up four assists to give him 37 points on the season and prior to Friday's game was honoured as the Mitchell and Jewell player of the month for the stretch of games played in late September and October . . . The Rebels are idle until next weekend when they visit the Ice Friday and host the Medicine Hat Tigers 24 hours later.

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