Dave Brunner

Rebels take the long road to their first win

Heading into the fourth game of the season, the Red Deer Rebels had not yet picked up their first win.

The Rebels changed their fortunes when last season’s leading scorer Arshdeep Bains sealed the comeback win in overtime, beating Jack McNaughton on a two-on-one. McNaughton had been drawn out of the net by Ben King and Bains had a wide-open cage to pot the winner.

“Les brought it up the ice, Bainsy (Bains) got on it and I saw a two-on-one,” said Ben King. “Bainsy fed it over, I couldn’t get a clear shot so I just tried to give it back to him. 

“He made a good play to stop it and put it in the net. It was just a good two-on-one play and luckily we got away with it.”

Despite the Rebels controlling play through much of the opening period, they once again could not find the back of the net. The team had been shut out by the Calgary Hitmen on Friday night.

A couple of quick fights towards the end of the period seemed to shift momentum in Calgary’s way.

The shot clock read 15-5 in favour of the home side but the teams headed down the tunnel at the intermission scoreless.

“I thought the first period was as good a period as we’ve had since we started here. We played extremely well in that first period,” said Red Deer Rebels General Manager and Head Coach Brent Sutter.

The ice tilted Calgary’s way early and often in the second period, as the Hitmen outshot the Rebels 19-7.

In a repeat of Friday night, the Hitmen got on the board first, as Tristen Zandee scored his first goal of the young season.

Sean Tschigerl and Jalen Luypen – Photo: Candice Ward Photography

Furthering the theme of the previous night, the Hitmen scored again to make it 2-0. This time Sean Tschigerl beat Ethan Anders to extend the Calgary lead.

It was nearly five periods before the Rebels could solve the Calgary netminders. With a late power play, the team went to work. Chris Douglas hammered home a bullet of a shot with just two seconds left on the clock to bring the Rebels to within one goal as the teams went to the second intermission. The goal was Douglas’ third of the season.

“The goal at the end of the second period gave us some life and momentum going into the third,” said Sutter.

Calgary had taken over control of the second period and continued to look like the more powerful team through the early stages of the final frame.

Red Deer did not give up hope though as they scored a goal with less than three minutes to play in the game. Kyle Masters fired a shot from his own blueline and McNaughton gave up a massive rebound. King was all alone in the Hitmen end of the ice and he deked past the goalie and scored to tie the game.

“Then you get a break on the second one, just like they got a break on their second goal last night,” added Sutter.

“We’re pretty happy in the room right now,” added King.

Game Notes: Red Deer was 1-for-6 with the man-advantage, Calgary was 0-for-4. Josh Prokop, Sean Tschigerl, and Josh Tarzwell all had five shots on net, both teams finished with 34 shots. Kalan Lind made his WHL debut, he’s in his 15-year-old season and had a penalty late in the second period. The three stars were Arshdeep Bains, Ethan Anders, and Jack McNaughton. Red Deer is back on the ice on Friday, March 12 as they begin a three games in three nights series with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Calgary will take on the Medicine Hat Tigers on the same night.