Red Deer has been mired in one of the franchise’s longest droughts. The team had won just once in the last 18 games and failed to win in their last 11 games. There had been signs of hope in the last few weeks and the Rebels played tough teams like Swift Current and Moose Jaw fairly well. The did pick up four points along the way and this kept them out of the league basement.
On the side of the ice, the Medicine Hat Tigers are the division leaders but they have been also in a slide. The Tigers had won just two of their previous ten games. Scoring goals has not been the issue, allowing them has. Heading into the game Medicine Hat held a 13 point lead on the Rebels for first in the Central Division and was six up on the Lethbridge Hurricanes, who were in second and also played last night.
It would be Red Deer’s early jump that would give the visiting Rebels a lead. Alexander Alexeyev would be the recipient of a rebound at the top of the right circle and he would hammer a shot past Jorden Hollett. The original shot came from Mason McCarty, who attempted a wrap around after picking the puck up behind the Tigers net. Just 1:21 into this one and it is 1-0 Red Deer.
An absolute rocket of a shot from one of the Rebels makes it past Jorden Hollett but not the stick of Kristians Rubins who pulled the puck off the goal line. The play would continue for some time before a review could be done. The ref signaled no goal and the game remained 1-0.
Before the first period was over, David Quenneville would send Mark Rassell in on a partial breakaway but Ethan Anders would shut the door on the fifth most prolific goal scorer in the WHL this season.
The period would come to a close with the Tigers outshooting the Rebels 11-9 but trailing 1-0.
Again, the Rebels would show some early jump and put a lot of pressure on the Tigers defensemen. 19-year-old Austin Pratt would dig the puck out of the corner and work his way towards the Tiger net. From behind the goal line, Pratt would put a backhand shot past Hollett and give the Rebels a 2-0 lead. The goal would be Pratt’s seventh on the year. Lukus MacKenzie would pick up his second assist as a Rebel and Jacob Herauf would hit the score sheet on this goal as well.
The Tigers wouldn’t be without chances of their own, including a point shot from David Quenneville that was redirected in front by Mark Rassell. Ethan Anders read the play perfectly though and would continue to blank the home side.
Jorden Hollett would keep his team in the game when he made a couple of back to back stops on Brandon Schuldhaus and Reese Johnson on the same sequence.
With 1:46 to go in the second period, a long feed from Joel Craven would hit the tape of Max Gerlach. Gerlach would then feed the puck rink
wide to Mark Rassell and he would put a wrist shot past Ethan Anders to make it a one goal game. The teams would then head to the dressing room at 2-1 Red Deer. The Tigers outshot Red Deer 11-6 to take a 22-15 lead after 40.
The teams would trade chances in the third period but there was not much action as the Rebels tightened up a little bit defensively and the Tigers just couldn’t find the equalizer. Ethan Anders had to make just six third period saves to keep the Rebels out front.
An interesting multi deflection goal would be the dagger in the heart of the Tigers on this night. Dawson Barteaux took a wild shot towards the net that would deflect off Mason McCarty then Grayson Pawlenchuk and into the Tigers net. The Rebels lead would be two and there would be just 2:23 remaining on the clock.
The Tigers would pull Hollett with 1:59 remaining but it would be Alexeyev with his second goal of the night. He shot puck from inside his own blueline and it made its way into the empty cage.
The Rebels would end their losing streak at 11 games. 4-1 is the final score.
Rebel Yell… The three stars on the night were 1) Ethan Anders (27 saves) 2) Mark Rassell (1 goal) 3) Mason McCarty (2 assists). Neither team would score on the power play. Red Deer was 0-for-4 while Medicine Hat was 0-for-3. James Hamblin was the best face-off man for the Tigers going 14-for-26 while Grayson Pawlenchuk was the best Rebel at 9-for-17. Arshdeep Bains made his Rebel regular season debut after a call up. He did not make the score sheet but played a very solid game in his fourth line roll. Austin Pratt had 6 shots for Red Deer, Tyler Preziuso added 5 for Medicine Hat. Red Deer’s next action is tonight as they return home for their final game before the holiday break. They face off at the Centrium against the Tri-City Americans. Medicine Hat heads to Edmonton for a tilt with the Oil Kings.
