1999 – Round 1, Game 5 against the Brandon Wheat Kings
Red Deer had built up a 3-1 series lead as the teams headed to Brandon for Game 5.
The Rebels had an excellent outing, especially on the power play as the team went 4-for-8. They also scored short-handed late in the first period.
Red Deer opened up a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Jordan Walker and Jarrett Thompson. Shawn McNeil scored his first of two goals to put Red Deer up 3-0 before the Wheat Kings could reply on a power play of their own.
Brad Leeb and Shawn McNeil added power play goals before the period ended, as the Rebels built up a 5-1 lead heading to the final 20 minutes.
The two teams traded three goals in less than a minute as Thompson scored his second of the game, followed by Jason Chimera’s fourth of the series for the Wheat Kings. Red Deer made it 7-2 at 7:36 as Justin Mapletoft scored a power play goal.
The Wheat Kings added a late power play goal to make the final 7-3, and the Rebels took the series 4-1. Dustin Schwartz needed to make just 26 saves to preserve the win.
2000 – Round 1, Game 3 against Kootenay ICE
Kootenay had dominated Red Deer over the first two games of the series outscoring them 15-4 and taking a 2-0 series lead. The games now shifted to Red Deer, as the team hoped to turn around their luck.
The game did not get off to a good start as the Rebels spotted the ICE a 3-0 lead before the first period was over. All three goals came with the man-advantage.
Kootenay scored again to take a 4-0 lead before Red Deer responded just eight seconds later when Justin Mapletoft scored his first goal of the series. A little more than a minute later, Kootenay had their fourth power play goal of the game. Closing out the second-period scoring was Joel Stepp with his first of the playoffs. Kootenay led 5-2.
Red Deer did their best to get back into this game as Kyle Wanvig scored to make it 5-3 but it was already in the last five minutes of the third period. The team then pulled their goalie while on the power play but Kootenay cleared the puck the length of the ice and into the empty net to make it 6-3. Dustin Paul added another goal for Red Deer with just over a minute left and it was 6-4.
A late penalty cost Red Deer in the final three seconds as the ICE scored their seventh goal of the game.
Kootenay was 5-for-10 on the power play while Red Deer went just 1-for-11. The win gave Kootenay a 3-0 series lead.
2001 – Round 1, Game 5 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes
Red Deer had a commanding 3-1 series lead as the teams headed back to Red Deer for Game 5.
Martin Erat had five points and Justin Mapletoft added a hat trick and an assist as the Rebels sailed by the Hurricanes 7-2.
Shane Bendera faced just 12 shots, making 10 saves to carry the Rebels to the second round of the playoffs.
The Rebels had a 4-1 lead after 20 minutes, Mapletoft scored twice on the power play, Ross Lupaschuk added another power play goal and Martin Erat scored at five-on-five.
Lethbridge scored a power play goal to make it 4-2 before the Rebels poured it on to finish up the game. Jeff Smith scored at even strength followed by a short-handed goal from Mapletoft. He had seven goals in the series at this point.
On a late third-period power play, Erat scored his second of the game and fourth of the series.
2004 – Round 1, Game 6 against the Calgary Hitmen
After taking a 3-1 series lead, the Rebels dropped Game 5 at home setting up a Game 6 in Calgary.
Red Deer directed 31 shots at Barry Brust but could not solve him as he stopped every shot he saw. This left the door open for the Hitmen to tie the series.
A Ryan Getzlaf short-handed goal opened the scoring in the second period. Getzlaf would also score the third goal for Calgary into an open net as the Hitmen won 3-0.
Cam Ward made 20 saves in the loss.
2005 – Round 1, Game 4 against the Medicine Hat Tigers
The underdog Rebels were up 2-1 in the series, hoping to win both games at home and take a commanding lead of the series. The Tigers, of course, had other ideas.
Red Deer did well to keep the offence out of their zone, allowing just four Medicine Hat shots in the first period. Unfortunately one of those shots gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes after Medicine Hat got on the board, Red Deer responded on a Jesse Zetariuk goal. That was it for first-period scoring.
Medicine Hat scored three times in the second period and added two more in the third to take this game 6-1. Kevin Nastiuk made 26 saves in the win for Medicine Hat.
2007 – Round 1, Game 5 against the Medicine Hat Tigers
Following four games, the teams were tied 2-2 in the series. Game 5 shifted to Medicine Hat and the Tigers took the wind out of the Rebels sails with a decisive 4-0 victory.
Medicine Hat was 3-for-10 on the power play, Red Deer was 0-for-10 as the chippy play continued in the series.
Matt Keetley made 27 saves for the Tigers in the shutout win, James Reimer made 17 saves in the loss.
The win gave Medicine Hat a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 in Red Deer.
2017 – Round 1, Game 4 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes
Red Deer had already surprised everyone by jumping out to a 2-1 series lead. Lethbridge had finished 22 points ahead of them in the regular-season standings.
Michael Spacek’s four assists helped lead the Rebels to a come from behind 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes.
Lethbridge had a 2-0 lead late in the first period. The Rebels got a late period goal from Lane Zablocki to head to the dressing room down just one.
Brandon Hagel tied the game a little more than five minutes into the second period while short-handed. Late in the second period though, Lethbridge would retake the lead at 3-2 on a Tyler Wong power play goal.
Red Deer need to have all hands on deck in the third period to come from behind and take the win. On a power play of their own near the midway point of the period they came through. Zablocki had his second goal of the game to tie it at three.
With two minutes remaining, Evan Polei scored to give the Rebels their first lead of the game. Hagel scored his second of the night into an empty net with less than a minute to play.
Red Deer had a 3-1 series lead following the 27 save win from Riley Lamb. Stuart Skinner made 38 saves in the loss.
