From top to bottom, the Red Deer Rebels put forth one of their best efforts of the season.
“It was a complete game right from the get-go,” said Rebels GM/head coach Brent Sutter. “We did a lot of things well. We played a certain way like we like to see us play.”
The game didn’t start out going the way the Rebels wanted despite early chances.
“We didn’t get off our game,” said Sutter. “Look at the scoring chances we had in the first six to seven minutes. We had four quality scoring chances, we just didn’t capitalize on them and they made the most of their opportunities.”
“But we kept battling and picking away.”
The visiting Everett Silvertips had the best record in the Western Hockey League heading into the game at 25-7-2-0, but the Rebels weren’t just going to roll over for them either.
Both teams were off to a fast start, trading chances, and both Byron Fancy and Keegan Karki were tasked with keeping the puck out of the net.
It was the visitors striking first on their first man-advantage of the night. With 54 seconds remaining in the power play the Silvertips made a nice tic-tac-toe play and finished it off with Wyatte Wylie’s ninth goal of the season.
With an assist on the play, Jake Christiansen put up his 15th point in 10 games since being sent back from the AHL’s Stockton Heat.
The fast-play continued through the game’s opening period. Everett outshot Red Deer 13-7.
Trailing after 20 minutes, the Rebels didn’t let themselves get down emotionally. They continued to put pressure on the Silvertips and earn themselves scoring chances.
They were the better team in the second period despite giving up the only goal through the first 12 minutes.
Christiansen’s point shot clanged off the post and Aidan Sutter collected the rebound. His first WHL goal gave the Silvertips a 2-0 lead, with 8:07 to play in the second period.
Then the tide began to turn in favour of Red Deer.
A little over a minute later Christoffer Sedof’s point shot created a rebound that went right to Chris Douglas. He dangled the puck around Karki for his eighth goal of the season.
They kept coming.
With 2:57 to play in the second period and at the tail end of a power play, the Rebels tied the score at two with Josh Tarzwell’s 17th goal of the season.
“We knew two goals wasn’t going to be enough in that game so we just kind of held our own, kept to the game plan and stuck it out,” Chase Leslie noted. “They broke before we did tonight.”
The third period hasn’t always been kind to the Rebels, as Saturday night’s game can attest, the Rebels gave up seven goals to the Oil Kings.
“Really, it’s been kind of a 12- to 14-game stretch we’ve played pretty well in. We obviously had a stinker of a third period the other night but our response tonight was outstanding, we responded the right way. It was a great effort by the kids. I was proud of them,” said Sutter
With three and a half minutes played in the third period, a seeing-eye shot from Leslie made it 3-2 Red Deer. His third of the season had the 4128 fans in attendance into the game.
“That felt good. That was probably one of the first goals I’ve scored in a close game like that,” said the 17-year-old defender.
“The puck just kind of squirted out to me. The guy was right there so I just tried to get it off as quick as I could and it found its way to the net. I found a seam and it found its way through. It was cool. I’ll remember that one for sure.”
Then it was time for a little bit of puck luck, as the team continued to work hard and catch a break.
A generous bounce on a dump in banked off the backboards and changed direction. The puck landed right on the stick of Keaton Sorensen who was in the right position to slap home a goal on the vacated net. Karki had gone to play the puck behind the net. Sorensen’s third goal of the season came with 11 minutes to play in the final frame.
“We got a break on the fourth goal but we earned that break too,” said Sutter.
Down two goals, the Silvertips pulled Karki early. It was to no avail though as the Rebels stuck for a three-goal lead.
Just 2:12 remained to play in the third period when Brett Davis walked out of the Rebels zone and fired a confident shot all the way down the ice into the yawning cage. That goal made it 5-2.
11 seconds later, Karki was pulled from the net once again. And again the Rebels made them pay.
26 seconds after their first empty-net goal Sorensen scored his second goal of the game to put the game to bed and give Red Deer their sixth win on home ice. The final score was 6-2 Red Deer.
Rebel Yell The three stars in the building were 1) Byron Fancy 2) Keaton Sorensen 3) Brett Davis. The Rebels were 0-for-4 on the power play, the Silvertips were 1-for-3. Keaton Sorensen’s final goal was the last of the 2010s decade, the first was scored by Willie Coetzee back on January 2nd, 2010. It came at 3:30 of the third period in a 2-1 shootout win over the Edmonton Oil Kings. Red Deer outshot Everett 38-33, Cameron Hausinger, Brett Davis and Ben King each had 5 shots to pace the Rebels. Red Deer dominated in the faceoff circle, winning 47-of-73, led by Ben King who was 16-of-25. Red Deer’s next action goes Friday at the Centrium as they take on the Saskatoon Blades. Everett heads to Edmonton for a 2 pm New Year’s Day clash.
