(Victoria, BC) – As the city of Victoria was being hit by consecutive windstorms, the Red Deer Rebels (9-11-1-0) blew into town face the Victoria Royals (14-7-6-1). The Royals were looking to get back on track at home, after suffering a loss the Vancouver Giants on Saturday. The Rebels came in with five straight losses, most recently going 0-2 versus the BC division after suffering losses in Kamloops and Kelowna on this road trip. Both teams elected to go with their backup goaltenders as Dean McNabb got the call for the Royals and Riley Lamb started in net for the Rebels.
The first period was very much a feeling out process of two teams that don’t face each other often, as much of the play was in the neutral zone. Scott Walford had a nice hip-check at the Royals’ blueline, as he sent Rebels forward Jack Flaman up and over. The most noticeable player of the period was Red Deer’s Lane Zablocki. Number nineteen for the Rebels was in the middle of most of the offence, showed some fore-checking and had a willing scrap with the Royals Spencer Gerth. The game was scoreless after the first period, and shots were tied 6-6.
The second period saw a definite pickup in action. The Royals began the period on the power play, but were unable to capitalize. Following the man-advantage, McNabb was forced to make three nice saves to keep the game scoreless. Austin Pratt opened the scoring for Red Deer, as forward Mason McCarty forced Jeremy Masella to turn it over in his own end and fed Pratt for the goal at 3:02. Kristian Reichel made it 2-0 for Red Deer at 4:38, jamming in loose puck at the side of the net as McNabb was unable to smother it. Victoria responded at 10:13 as Matthew Phillips banged in a puck bouncing off paddle-to stick-to blocker, back to stick, and it was a 2-1 game. The goal seemed to energize the Royals, waking them up as they connected more passes and controlled the possession better. Regan Nagy had a nice toe-drag for a goal, but it was immediately called off as the Royals’ Dino Kambeitz was called for incidental contact with the goalie. Royals Head Coach Dan Price did not like the call and had a discussion with the referee, but the penalty stood, the goal waived off and the boo-birds on Blanshard came out. The second period ended with the Rebels in the lead 2-1, shots 21-20 for the Royals.
The Royals came out flying to start the third period and looked to put the game away. Jared Legien scored after racing down the wing, finishing with a nice one-handed tuck for the goal at 2:04. Regan Nagy then scored on the power play at 5:15, a quick shot that found its way through the five-hole of Lamb. Rebels’ GM and Head Coach Brent Sutter immediately called a time out to settle his team. Sutter, a veteran coach of 862 WHL games, saw his move pay off. McCarty scored a nice goal to tie it again at 12:18, taking a nice pass from behind the net from Austin Pratt. Red Deer then pulled ahead again, as Reese Johnson scored on a great cross-crease pass from McCarty at 14:52. Royals were back on their heels now. With 1:05 remaining, Victoria called a time out to arrange a set-piece off the faceoff. The Rebels iced the game with an empty net goal, as Lane Zablocki fired it in from behind his own blueline at 19:13 to cap the comeback and win 5-3. Red Deer goalie Riley Lamb recorded his first win of the season and made some key saves. Mason McCarty was named a deserving first star with 3 points, a +2 and 4 SOG.
Just as Victoria was looking to run away with the game in the third period, Sutter settled his team with a timeout and it was the turning point. They responded with three unanswered goals to snap a six-game winless streak. In what was billed to be a potential one-sided affair given the two team’s standing in the league, perhaps the difference maker in this game proved to be the veteran coach in Sutter versus the first-year coach in Price.
Victoria’s next game is on the road when they face the Chiefs in Spokane, Friday Nov.17th.
