Rebels @Giants
Unbelievable is one way to describe the turn of events for the Red Deer Rebels after the trade deadline. The team has waltzed through the B.C. division trip going 3-0-0-0 before the stop in Vancouver.
Riley Lamb would get another start, looking to collect his seventh straight win. In net for the Giants was David Tendeck, looking for his third straight win.
Early on it was all Red Deer. The Rebels had chance after chance to score but were not able to get anything past Tendeck. The Rebels would have three power play opportunities in the first period but it would be the Giants who would score a short handed goal with 2:28 left in the first period. Dawson Holt and Tyler Benson would break out of their own zone on a two-on-two. The two would criss-cross at the Rebels blueline, then feather a pass over to the trailing Brennan Riddle. He would then pass it to Holt. Holt would make a move and a shot on net that would produce a rebound. After a short scramble, a Rebels stick poked it back in front of the net and Holt would make it count.
The teams would head to the room with the Giants leading 1-0. The Rebels out shot the Giants 15-9.
A nice play between Kristian Reichel and Brandon Hagel would tie the game at one. Reichel fed the puck to Hagel on the right side of Tendeck. The original save was made but the puck went up and over the goaltender. Reichel just needed to tap the puck into the net behind Tendeck. It was Reichel’s 26th goal of the season.
After a glorious opportunity for the Giants to retake the lead, it would be the Rebels marching right back down the ice to take their first lead of the game. Barteaux’s hard bank off the glass put the puck on the stick of Arshdeep Bains. Into the Giants end Brandon Cutler would get a pass right in front of Tendeck and all he had to do was fire it. Fire it he did and the Rebels were up 2-1 with just about 12 minutes gone in the second period. There would be no more scoring in the period as the teams headed to the intermission.
Cutler would pick up his second goal of the night and eventual game winner. A bad clearing attempt by the Giants went to Ethan Sakowich at the point. His pass to Brandon Hagel would create a chance that was stopped by Tendeck. Cutler would be wide open on the rebound and made a move around the group of players in front, he went backhand into an empty cage to put the Rebels up 3-1.
Just a minute and a half later the Giants would make it close again. Tyler Ho would fire a shot off the back boards that would ricochet back in front of the net. Jared Dmytriw would pick up the loose puck and fire it past an unready Lamb. With plenty of time left on the clock the Giants would pull to within one.
Hagel and Cutler were digging for a puck in the offensive zone. With a couple of Giants players draped on them, Cutler would come away with it. He would fire a pass to the slot, where a waiting Reichel would place a shot right above the outstretched glove of Tendeck. The puck would quickly hit the back of the net before coming out. The ref was in great position to make the goal call and the Rebels two goal lead was restored.
Despite pumping 17 shots on Lamb in the final frame, the Giants would only score the one goal. The Rebels went through the B.C. division and collected eight of eight points.
Kamloops @Everett
The would be another shut out in Everett, this one belonging to Dustin Wolf. He has now collected shut outs in four of his 17 starts as a Silvertip.
Not to be out done by his goaltender, Martin Fasko-Rudas earned himself a three point night, starting the Silvertips off on the scoreboard. Matt Fonteyne would put a puck towards the net and Fasko-Rudas would tap it between the pads of Max Pagala.
That would be it for the first period offense.
Business would pick up again for the Silvertips in the second period as the team would bookend the period with goals. The first came off the stick of Jake Christiansen. He was fed a pass from his defense partner Fasko-Rudas, moved himself up to the top of the faceoff circle and let a wrist-shot go. It took a bounce in front and flopped itself over Palaga to give the Silvertips a two goal lead. The goal would be the first of three power play goals on the night.
With just under two minutes to go in the second period, the Silvertips would strike again. With the man advantage, the Silvertips passed the puck around the zone until it found the stick of Patrik Bajkov. He would hammer a shot from inside the circle that wasn’t seen. Palaga had no chance to make a save as there were bodies in front of him. The teams would head to the locker room with the Silvertips leading a tired Blazer squad 3-0. They were also out shooting them 32-15 at the second intermission.
Bryce Kindopp’s 18th goal of the year would be the final dagger for the Silvertips on this night. Again the Silvertips would work the puck around the offensive zone with the man advantage. This time the puck would make its way in front of Palaga and he would make a couple of stops before Kindopp would jam it past him for the fourth goal of the night for the Silvertips.
The final score would be 4-0 Everett, they would also out shoot Kamloops 42-20.
Chiefs @Thunderbirds
Seattle would be playing their third game in three nights as they welcomed a hot Chiefs team to the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington.
The Thunderbirds would put up a great fight for the first 16 minutes 40 seconds of this one before they unraveled. With Luke Toporowski serving a two minute minor for hooking, Hudson Elyniuk stole the puck from a Seattle defender and was off to the races. He was able to deke out Liam Hughes on the breakaway to give the Chiefs the lead.
It would not take long for the Chiefs to extend the lead. With his 12th goal of the year Nolan Reid made it 2-0. With the Chiefs pressing a shot was fired toward the Thunderbird net. From the over head camera it looked like it was redirected just slightly by a Thunderbird defenseman and into the net.
That’s how it would stand until late in the second period. With Spokane’s potent power play on the ice, it would be Edmonton Oilers draft pick Kailer Yamamoto scoring his 15th goal of the year. He was the recipient of a back door pass from Jaret Anderson-Dolan to make it 3-0 Spokane.
Just one minute later the Thunderbirds would show some life. With a shot through traffic, 20-year-old defenseman Austin Strand would bring the Thunderbirds back into this game. Noah Philp was able to dig the puck off the boards and shovel a pass to Strand who wristed a shot by Dawson Weatheril.
To this point the Chiefs were out shooting the Thunderbirds 25-17 and had the 3-1 lead after 4o minutes.
Just over a minute into the final frame, Anderson-Dolan would add to his teams lead. Yamamoto and Anderson-Dolan would work the give and go with the one Seattle defender unable to take the puck away. Anderson-Dolan would have the shot on net and it would beat Hughes for his 34th goal of the season.
Kailer Yamamoto would then seal the deal with his second goal of the night to make it 5-1 Chiefs. A bouncing puck would find Nolan Reid and he would swipe the puck to Yamamoto. Time and space were give to Yamamoto and he made it count with his 16th goal of the year.
