Rebels Fresh-Faced Goalies Share in Road Win over Blades
December 29, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release
SASKATOON - The chances of winning a WHL game with two first-time goaltenders are rare indeed, but the Red Deer Rebels bucked the odds Tuesday night.
Missing their regular netminders in Connor Ungar and Chase Coward - Ungar with an undisclosed ailment and Coward with a lower body injury - the Rebels put their trust in Justen Maric and Chase Wutzke, and while the pair had their shaky minutes, in the end where able to share in a much deserved 7-6 shootout victory.
Wutzke, in fact, played a major role in the win, stopping three of the Blades gunners in the shootout while watching Talon Brigley and Liam Keeler connect for the Rebels in front of 2,741 fans at the SaskTel Centre.
Rebels head coach Steve Konowalchuk had a hunch that 15-year-old Wutzke, a native of Debden, Sask., who plays midget AAA hockey with the Saskatoon Contacts and was Red Deer's second-round pick in this year's WHL Prospects Draft, might come up big in front of friends and family.
"Good for him. Even in the morning skate he had that attitude that he loves the position and that it's not a pressure position for him," said Konowalchuk. "So I'm not totally surprised."
Maric, a 17-year-old fifth-round bantam draft pick of the Rebels in 2019, started in the Red Deer net and was replaced by Wutzke after one period after giving up three goals on six shots.
"It's tough for these kids and we didn't give Maric the best chance to succeed," said Konowalchuk. "It's different if you're giving him a chance to get comfortable but we took two penalties right off the bat which gives a good power play some good shot opportunities.
"We didn't help him out as much as we could have."
The Rebels surrendered two man-advantage goals in the first period and headed to the intermission on the back end of a 3-1 count, but rebounded with four second-period markers.
The Blades got a late second-period goal from Kyle Crnkovic, his third of the game, to take a 6-5 lead into the third period.
But Ben King notched his second of the night - his 21st of the season and league-leading 11th on the power play - midway through the third to force a scoreless overtime and ensuing shootout.
Brigley and Keeler buried their chances in the shootout, while Tristen Robins, who had a goal and five assists in regulation time, was the lone Blades shooter to beat Wutzke.
Brigley, Arshdeep Bains, Keeler and Jace Isley also scored for the visitors during the first 60 minutes, while Jayden Wiens and Brandon Lisowsky notched the other Blades goals.
The Rebels played the majority of the game in the Saskatoon end, outshooting their hosts 43-21.
"I thought we pushed the pace for the most part," said Konowalchuk. "Our guys were never out of the game no matter what the score was and I didn't feel that either because we were pushing the pace.
"We just needed to clean up a couple of mistakes that were causing the goals and the penalties."
Notable: The Rebels were also minus the services of forward Kai Uchacz, who suffered a lower body during a Dec. 19 win over Calgary. Uchacz is out indefinitely . . . Rookie defenceman Matteo Fabrizi returned to the Rebels lineup after being out since Nov. 24 with an upper-body injury . . . The Rebels were one-for-three on the power play, the Blades three-for-four . . . The three stars: (1) Crnkovic, (2) Robins and (3) King . . . The Rebels continue their four-game East Division swing with a match Wednesday against the Prince Albert Raiders (6 p.m. MT on 106.7 REWIND Radio and WHL Live).
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