Hitmen extend game to OT, Rebels losing streak reaches eight

The Rebels and Hitmen would connect for their third game of the season series. Red Deer was desperately trying to turn the ship around in the turtle derby for playoff positioning within the Central Division. The Rebels would be without the services of Brandon Hagel, out week-to-week with an upper body injury suffered on Friday night. The Hitmen would be without Tristen Nielsen. It was also toque and mitt night at the Centrium.

Rebels starting goaltender Riley Lamb would make the first big stop of the night about five minutes into the game on a shot in close from Mark Kastelic.

The Hitmen would be the first team to the penalty box on this night. Justin Gurney would get two minutes for slashing and the toques and mitts would fly shortly after as Kristian Reichel (13) would score on a shot from the top of the circle. He received an excellent pass from Alexander Alexeyev after a fallen Grayson Pawlenchuk made a great play to keep posession along the boards deep in the Hitmen end.

Calgary came right back and tied the game after the break to clean up, when an Andrew Fyten shot beats Lamb through the five-hole, hits the post and Jake Bean is there to score his fifth of the year. Jakob Stukel picked up the additional assist.

Some of the Red Deer defenders are having a difficult time keeping the puck in at the Hitmen blue-line as witnessed by not being quick enough to the puck, not getting the body in front of the puck or having it bounce over their sticks.

The Rebels would retake the lead with 1:29 to go in the first period. Lane Zablocki is the recipient of a rebound in front on a play that developed deep in the Hitmen zone. Grayson Pawlenchuk was able to dig the puck off the back boards and sneak in front of the net enough to get a shot off, Zablocki would get another shot at it before burying it.

Red Deer would trail on the shot clock (11-15) but lead the score 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Lane Zablocki busted into the Hitmen end very early into the second period and drew a tripping penalty against Jake Bean. The Rebels would get their third power play of the night. The team was unable to capitalize, Calgary was able to plug up the passing lanes and dump the puck down the ice.

Less than three minutes into the period, the Rebels would extend their lead when Austin Schellenberg would score his first WHL goal. Schellenberg got a terrific shot off when he slipped past the Hitmen defense and roofed it by Schneider. River Fahey would collect his first WHL point on the play as well.

With just over 15 minutes to play in the second, Mason McCarty received a four minute penalty for a slew-foot on one of the Hitmen defenders. The Rebels penalty killers worked hard and got one of the penalties killed but Jake Kryski would bring the Hitmen to within one goal with a power play marker that was unassisted.

Just moments later, the Hitmen would tie the game with a shot from the bottom of the circle that evaded a diving Riley Lamb. The goal goes to Connor Chaulk, his first as a Hitmen. Jackson van de Leest and Jakob Stukel picked up the assists.

When asked about the 55 seconds where the Hitmen scored twice, Head Coach Brent Sutter had this to say, “We made a bad play killing a penalty. Instead of just trying to kill the penalty we try to score a goal. The defenceman cheats, there’s an odd-man rush and it’s in your net, It’s probably a bad goal on your goaltender too.”

“They score right away again and all of a sudden it’s 3-3. We got off our game for like five to six minutes.”, discussing more of the teams inability to play a full 60 minutes.

2:21 seconds into the third period, Mason McCarty is hauled down on a breakaway by van de Leest. On the ensuing penalty shot, McCarty beats Schneider but goes over the net. Score remained tied at three.

With just over a minute to go in the game Mason McCarty streaks down the ice and just barely missed high blocker side on Schneider. The Rebels had kept most of the action in the Hitmen end of the ice, outshooting them 14-3 in the period but it was not enough.

This game would go to overtime and would see the Rebels Zablocki take a questionable hooking penalty. The Rebels penalty killers would be up to the task and Riley Lamb would make a series of saves to send the game to a shoot out. Despite the penalty kill in the extra frame, Red Deer would out shoot the Hitmen 4-3.

Reichel and McCarty would score for the Rebels in the shootout, Stukel and Kryski would also score to extend the skills competition. In the fifth round after a Zablocki miss it would be Vladislav Yeryomenko putting the final goal behind Riley Lamb and sealing a win for the division rivals.

 

Rebel Yell… The three stars were 1) Bean 2) Zablocki 3) Pawlenchuk. Zablocki lead all players with six shots while Jake Bean lead the Hitmen with five. Connor Chaulk was 13-of-25 from the face off dot, Reese Johnson was 13-of-23. The Rebels hit the road for a game with the Lethbridge Hurricanes before returning to Red Deer for games against Swift Current and Moose Jaw next weekend.