Rebels Get Win in Regina
Published on February 28, 2019 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release
REGINA - The Red Deer Rebels were a hungry, stingy team through two periods Wednesday.
The third period . . . not so much.
The visitors led the Regina Pats 4-1 after 40 minutes in front of 4,684 fans at the Brandt Centre, and despite being outshot 21-4 in the final period posted an all-important 5-2 victory.
The Rebels, as a result, pulled into a tie with the Medicine Hat Tigers for the first wild-card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, two points clear of the Brandon Wheat Kings.
"We got what we needed. For 40 minutes we were really good and the end result was what we needed," said GM/head coach Brent Sutter.
Red Deer never gave up much at all through the first two periods, limiting their hosts to 13 mostly harmless shots.
The Pats, though, cranked it up in the final 20 minutes. But Rebels netminder Ethan Anders stood tall while his teammates struggled to show the same form they displayed earlier.
"In the third period we were on our heels a lot," said Sutter. "They made a push. We turned a lot of pucks over and weren't good along the boards."
Alex Alexeyev got the Rebels on the board just past the midway point of the opening period as Zak Smith worked out of the corner and found the Russian defenceman with a pass. Alexeyev did the rest in impressive fashion, moving in from the high slot and slipping the puck through the pads of Regina netminder Max Paddock.
The hosts pulled even just under four minutes later when Cole Dubinsky intercepted a pass by Rebels defenceman Ryan Gottfried at the Pats blueline, carried the puck into the Red Deer zone and from the left circle caught the far corner of the net behind goaltender Ethan Anders.
But the Pats never seriously threatened again despite their third-period surge.
Defenceman Ethan Sakowich gave the visitors a lead they never relinquished, beating Paddock through a screen in the final minute of the first period, and then gave the Rebels a two-goal cushion on a slapshot from the point a mere 55 seconds into the middle stanza.
Brett Davis added to the Rebels' lead just over five minutes later, taking a drop-pass from Chris Douglas on a two-on-two break and wiring a shot upstairs.
Pats defenceman Brady Poteau cut the deficit to 4-2 with a power-play tally at 16:45 of the final frame, but Brandon Hagel scored into an empty net at 17:50.
Anders made 32 saves, including 20 in the third period. Paddock turned aside 22 shots at the other end.
The Rebels were zero-for-two on the power play while the Pats were one-for-six with a man advantage.
Red Deer will visit Prince Albert Friday for a meeting with the Raiders and will round out a four-game East Division swing with a Sunday afternoon contest against the Saskatoon Blades.
The Rebels' next home game is March 8 versus the Wheat Kings.
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- Long-Time ICE Broadcaster Jeff Hollick Remembers Jarret Stoll for Leadership on and off the Ice - Kootenay Ice
- Clark to be Inducted into Wall of Honour - Prince Albert Raiders
- Undermanned Cougars no Match for Chiefs - Prince George Cougars
- Rebels Get Win in Regina - Red Deer Rebels
- Americans Put up Valiant Effort, Fall 2-1 in Kamloops - Tri-City Americans
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