WHL Red Deer Rebels

Young Rebels Struggle Offensively in Home-Opener Loss to Oil Kings

Published on September 23, 2018 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Red Deer Rebels News Release


Patience will be the key word with the Red Deer Rebels this season.

For the second night in succession, the Rebels struggled to score and create consistent opportunities and the result was a 4-1 WHL loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings in their home-opener before 5,007 fans at the Enmax Centrium.

Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter couldn't argue with his club's work ethic in the second half of a home-and-home season-opening set with the Oil Kings, who were 4-2 winners Friday in the provincial capital.

"I thought it was a much better game the way we played tonight than last night," said Sutter.

"But you have to score goals. The goals they (Oil Kings) got were some hockey sense plays with our coverage and stuff that we need to be better at. We said it's going to be a process. We have a lot of work to do with these young kids.

"You get caught up in some of it too much not realizing where the youth is. We have to continue to work with them and continue to make them better."

Russian centre Oleg Zaytsev showed plenty of promise while skating on a line with Jeff de Wit and Brandon Hagel.

"I thought our older players, including Jeff, were good tonight. I thought that line was good," said Sutter. "What everyone has to remember too is that Zayts is a 17-year-old hockey player and he's playing against the other team's top centres. There's a learning curve for him too."

De Wit was moved on to the Rebels top line as a replacement for Chris Douglas, who was assessed two minor penalties Saturday after being whistled for a pair of infractions the night before.

"It was just to give that line some size and a little more power," said Sutter. "Jeff was moving his feet tonight, he was skating.

"Dougie has been fighting it a little bit. We have to get Dougie going . . . too many penalties in two games."

The Oil Kings struck first when David Kope moved out of the corner and spotted Trey Fix-Wolansky for a tap-in goal 7:09 into the contest.

Defenceman Alex Alexeyev pulled the Rebels even with a power-play goal just over seven minutes later, his bullet from the point striking the post, then deflecting off netminder Dylan Myskiw and in. It was the second goal in as many games for the Russian rearguard and Washington Capitals prospect.

Vince Loschiavo notched the eventual winner early in the middle frame, taking a feed from Fix-Wolansky on a partial two-on-one break and stepping around Rebels goaltender Ethan Anders.

After being outshot in each of the first two periods, the Rebels held a 12-7 edge in the third but Kope gave the visitors a two-goal cushion at 15:41 when he gloved down a puck in front of the net and slipped it past Anders.

The Rebels stormed the Edmonton end in the dying minutes but couldn't convert, and Scott Atkinson fired the puck the length of the ice for an empty-net goal with eight seconds remaining.

Myskiw stood tall in the Oil Kings net and finished with 28 saves, including a third-period breakaway stop on Brandon Hagel and a rebound block on Zaytsev a split second later.

"Our work ethic was there, we all competed pretty hard and that's what you want," said Rebels captain Reese Johnson. "But we just have to clean up some things and bury offensively. Obviously you need to score goals to win."

With time winding down and the Rebels applying pressure, Alexeyev struck iron and Hagel had a chance that just sailed over the net.

"We had chances early on and a couple late, but obviously you want to generate scoring chances all game," said Johnson. "We need more shots on net, we can't be getting outshot like that."

Anders, as was the case Friday, was impressive in the Red Deer net with a 31-save performance.

"Andy played well, he was solid. We have to have goaltending, any team does," said Sutter, who said rookie Byron Fancy will get the call next weekend when the Rebels host Calgary and Swift Current Friday and Saturday.

Red Deer will then travel to Calgary for a Sunday contest and will take on the visiting Saskatoon Blades two nights later.

"Andy's our starter and Fanc is our back up and next weekend we're going to need Fanc to play a game because we have four games in five nights," said Sutter. "He's going to get a shot next weekend."

Meanwhile, the Rebels coaching staff will stay the course and keep driving home the necessary points during practice.

"I'm not disappointed with our effort here tonight. I thought we had everyone competing and playing hard," said Sutter. "Like I said, there are some young players mistakes, little things . . . understanding the game a little better, defensive coverage. Things happen much quicker at this level.

"I said at the start of the year we're going to be a young team and we're going to have some growing pains. We played a team that has six first-round (WHL bantam draft) picks on their team, and some high picks.

"They have a pretty darn good hockey team and we knew that. They have good speed, the play the game quick. But I thought our pace was much better than last night, our puck movement was much better. But again, we just have to continue to work at it."

The Rebels won the special teams battle Saturday, going one-for-four on the power play and five-for-five on the penalty kill.

"Our one (power play) unit created lots, we just have to find a way to bury on those too," said Johnson. "Special teams are huge, they win or lose you games."

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