Homecoming turns sour for Rebels

Having played their last six games on the road and going 4-0 through the B.C. Division book-ended by losses to the Oil Kings and Hitmen, the Rebels were looking to get back on the winning track at home, facing the Prince Albert Raiders. Red Deer had won their last two home games back on February 7th and 9th.

The Raiders are in a tough battle for the final wild card spot with the Saskatoon Blades, whom they trailed by six points and they came into Red Deer hungry for their second straight win.

That hunger showed when the Raiders won the opening faceoff and marched straight into the Rebels end and scored. Kody McDonlald collected a Parker Kelly pass and sniped a quick shot past Rebels starting netminder Ethan Anders. 14 seconds would be all it would take to open the scoring for the Raiders.

After the early goal, the Rebels did settle down and created some chances in the Raider end.

It would not be enough though as the Raiders would stake themselves to a two-goal lead with less than three minutes to play in the period. Prince Albert shifted the momentum their way when Zach Hayes’ point shot bounced right to Jordy Stallard. The ensuing shot would glance off the post and in behind Anders for Stallard’s 39th goal of the season.

Josh Tarzwell would be then be stopped by Raider’s starting goalie Ian Scott with a little under a minute to play, his point blank shot was vacuumed right in Scott’s glove.

The second period would be more fruitful for the Rebels as they continued to generate chances with hard work from the younger contingent of Rebels. Alex Morozoff would get the Rebels on the board three minutes and two seconds into the second period. His hard work on the half wall created a turnover and he walked right in front of Scott and beat him blocker side for his fifth of the season. 2-1 Raiders.

Penalties would start to mount for the Raiders late in the second.

On their fourth power play of the night, the Rebels were able to get a goal past the second-ranked penalty killers in the Western Hockey League.

A fluke shot would make its way through a sea of bodies on a deflection of a shot from Jacob Herauf. It would be Josh Tarzwell’s stick that deflected the puck up and over Scott and into the back of the net. It was Tarzwell’s ninth of the season knotted the game at two.

The tie game would not last for long.

Less than two minutes after the power play goal, Brett Leason would score to retake the lead. More hard work by the Raiders in the Rebels zone created a turnover on the half wall and the puck went to Leason in the slot from McDonald. He would just have to snipe a shot past the extended glove of Anders to make it 3-2.

Before the period was over there was some frustration from the Rebels and that resulted in co-incidental penalties to close out the second period.

The Raiders penalty kill was excellent in the third period as Prince Albert would take a four minute high sticking penalty and then add a two minute delay-of-game penalty. That was followed by another two minute minor. Red Deer could not generate anything as was witnessed by Head Coach Brent Sutter “You get a five-on-three for two minutes and you get one shot on it and you lose every faceoff on the power play, you are starting down in your own zone right away.”

The Rebels would pull Anders for the extra attacker late and were only able to muster one good scoring chance. Reese Johnson clapped a shot off the post and it deflected into the corner.

Red Deer would lose it’s second straight while Prince Albert would win it’s second in a row.

Sutter added this after the game “I thought it was kind of a ho-hum game, it was a game where I didn’t think we had enough intensity and emotion. I didn’t think there was enough urgency”

Rebel Yell… The three stars on the night were 1) Ian Scott (29 saves) 2) Jacob Herauf (1a, 2shots) 3) Kody McDonald (1g,1a). Ethan Anders had 20 saves in the loss. Red Deer went 1-for-8 on the power play, Prince Albert was 0-for-1. Kody McDonald was 17-of-27 in the face off circle while Reese Johnson was 14-for-22. Brandon Hagel’s five game point streak came to an end. The Rebels will face off against the Swift Current Broncos on Saturday night, while the Prince Albert Raiders head up to Edmonton to take on the Oil Kings.