The Red Deer Rebels came into post trade deadline time looking to make some gains in the standings and collect a few wins, especially on home ice where they had not won since October 28th, 2017. They have gone 0-7-2-2 at the Enmax Centrium since that time.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes were looking to win both ends of the Tuesday-Friday home and home series with the Rebels and extend their point lead on the idle Kootenay Ice.
Logan Flodell would get his second straight start, winning on Tuesday in Lethbridge in a shootout.
Zak Smith made his Rebels debut being called up from Neepawa Natives of the Manitoba Midget AAA league and Brandon Hagel would make his return to the lineup after missing 14 games with an upper body injury.
A quick start for the Rebels in this one would see Colin Paradis score his first goal as a Rebel in his first home game for the team. It would take just 26 seconds for him to score after a pass from Alexander Alexeyev. Kristian Reichel would also draw an assist on the Paradis goal.
Just over two and a half minutes later Brad Morrison scored his third goal for the Hurricanes since being dealt to the team earlier this week. His goal tied the game at one and the game wasn’t even three minutes old.
Before the period was finished Grayson Pawlenchuk would score a beauty of a goal, and then Brandon Hagel would send Reese Johnson on a breakaway, he wouldn’t miss and his goal put the Rebels up 3-1. After 20 minutes the Rebels had 13 shots to the Hurricanes seven.
The story of the second period was penalties. Red Deer took four minor penalties, including 29 seconds of 5-on-3, and the Hurricanes made the Rebels pay. First newly minted captain Jordy Bellerive scored his 25th goal of the season at 11:56 of the period.
Then it would be Taylor Ross, who came over from the Spokane Chiefs on November 4th, 2017, scoring his 11th goal of the season on the power play. Morrison and Bellerive would each collect their third points of the night on the goal.
The Hurricanes would out shoot the Rebels 15-4 in the second stanza and lead the shots after forty minutes, 22-17. The game would head to the third period with the teams tied at three goals a piece.
The third period would be the Logan Barlage show as the recent pick up would score two goals 3:08 a part to put the Hurricanes in front 5-3. Taylor Ross would assist on his first goal, and his second goal would be a solo effort and the eventual game winner. The goals would be his second and third on the season.
At 13:23 of the third period, Mason McCarty would make a game of it when he scored his 21st goal of the year. Kristian Reichel and Grayson Pawlenchuk got the helpers. This would be as close as the Rebels would come, despite a late 6-on-4 when Calen Addison took a roughing penalty. With 1:48 to go in the game Brent Sutter pulled Riley Lamb from the Rebel net, but it would be Dylan Cozens sealing this one with an empty net goal.
The final score in this game is Hurricanes 6 Red Deer 4. The ‘Canes would go on to out shoot the Rebels 32-27, both teams had ten shots in the third period.
Rebel Yell… The Rebels are right back in action on Saturday night as the Saskatoon Blades visit the Enmax Centrium. The Blades defeated the Rebels in Saskatoon last Friday by a 3-2 score. The 3-star selections were 1) Jordy Bellerive 2) Mason McCarty 3) Logan Barlage. Bellerive and Barlage each had 7 shots for the Hurricanes, while McCarty had 5 for the Rebels. The Rebels have now lost 10 straight games, collecting a single point in five of the 10 games. (0-5-3-2). They are now tied for last place in the WHL with the Edmonton Oil Kings (10-23-7-3, 30 pts.) Reese Johnson lead all faceoff takers with 14 wins on 22 attempts.
