1997 – Round 1, Game 5 against the Regina Pats
With a 3-1 series lead and the teams returning to Red Deer, the Rebels had an opportunity to close out their opening-round series with the Pats.
Marc Magliarditi stood tall in the net as the Pats did everything they could to extend the series. Allowing just one goal, Magliarditi made 32 saves, helping send the Rebels to the second round.
B.J. Young scored in the first and second period, on the power play, to give the Rebels a two-goal lead before the Pats scored to make it 2-1.
On another power play early in the third period Arron Asham scored to make it 3-1. With time winding down in the game Terry Ryan scored, followed by an empty-net goal by Asham.
The final score was 5-1, with the Rebels advancing to the Conference Semi-finals.
2002 – Round 1, Game 3 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes
Red Deer opened the series with back-to-back wins at home. The series shifted to Lethbridge as the Rebels looked to take a three games to none lead.
Mikhail Yakubov scored his third, fourth and fifth goals of the series to give the Rebels a 3-0 series lead. Bryce Thoma and Chris Neiszner each had single goals as the Rebels took out the Hurricanes 5-2.
Each team had a power-play goal and Yakubov’s hat trick goal was scored into an empty net with three minutes left in the third period.
Cam Ward made 25 saves in the win.
2003 – Round 1, Game 4 against the Calgary Hitmen
With Red Deer having opened up a 3-0 series lead, Calgary needed to find some magic to keep the playoff series alive, and they did with a 21 save performance by goaltender Joel Martin.
Red Deer opened the scoring in the first period as Boyd Gordon scored his fourth goal of the series. That was all the offense the Rebels could muster though as the Hitmen scored a goal in each of the second and third periods.
Cam Ward made 15 saves in the loss.
The final score was 2-1 for the Hitmen who now trailed the series 3-1.
2005 – Round 1, Game 1 against the Medicine Hat Tigers
The Tigers won the division with 96 points and home-ice advantage through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Red Deer finished fourth in the Central Division with 82 points.
This game opened with a flurry of scoring activity, Medicine Hat used the home crowd to take a 3-0 lead by 16:29 of the first period.
Red Deer then took their turn scoring a pair of quick goals by Ty Morris and Roman Wick. As the teams headed to the dressing room it was 3-2.
From there the scoring dried up and the goalies dueled for the final 40 minutes. Andrew Leslie made 24 saves in the loss for Red Deer and Matt Keetley made 23 saves in the win.
Medicine Hat took the early series lead at 1-0.
2011 – Round 1, Game 2 against the Edmonton Oil Kings
Having won the first game 5-3 at home, the Rebels were trying to ensure they retained home-ice advantage by winning the second game as well.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Dalton Siwak got the Rebels off to a good start with first period goals. Edmonton did manage to get themselves on the board in the late stages of the period to make it 2-1.
Future captain Adam Kambeitz scored short-handed in the second period to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead.
Justin Weller scored about 12 minutes into the third period and the Oil Kings could not find an answer. With a late power play, Kambeitz scored his second of the night and the Rebels took a 2-0 series lead with their 5-1 victory. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves in the victory.
2013 – Round 1, Game 3 against the Prince Albert Raiders
The series shifted to Prince Albert for Game 3 as the Rebels held a 2-0 series lead. The Raiders were looking for some home-ice advantage to get themselves back in the series.
Prince Albert did everything the could, especially in the first period to take the lead, as the home side. They fired 15 first period shots at Patrik Bartosak but could not find the back of the net. The teams remained tied at zero as the opening 20 minutes came to a close.
Red Deer found the back of the net first on a goal from Brooks Maxwell, his second of the series just over four minutes into the second period. Three minutes later, on a power play, Turner Elson made it 2-0 for the Rebels.
The game would remain that way until late in the third period. Mike Winther scored for Prince Albert to make it 2-1. With time winding down on the clock Elson was fed the puck and he scored into the vacated net of the Raiders.
Bartosak made 29 saves to preserve the 3-1 Red Deer win and a 3-0 series lead.
2016 – Round 1, Game 2 against the Calgary Hitmen
Trying desperately to win both games at home, the Rebels took on the Hitmen in the second game of their opening-round series.
It was not to be on this night as the Hitmen used a three-goal second period to tie the series at one.
Calgary opened the scoring less than seven minutes into the game. Red Deer countered five minutes later on a goal by Adam Helewka. His third goal of the series came on the power play.
The teams remained tied until early in the second period as the Hitmen scored twice in less than two minutes to take a 3-1 lead. One of those goals came with a man-advantage.
Red Deer tried to make a comeback as Evan Polei scored just a minute after the two Hitmen goals. His first of the series made it 3-2 for the Hitmen.
With another power play moments later, Calgary scored again to retake a two-goal lead.
The Rebels battled hard in the final 20 minutes but could not score on Cody Porter. Eventually, Calgary’s fifth goal scorer popped the puck into an empty Red Deer net and the final score was 5-2.
Trevor Martin made 30 saves in the loss, Porter had 35 saves in the win.
2017 – Round 1, Game 2 against the Lethbridge Hurricanes
Red Deer had stolen an opening game win in Lethbridge to take a 1-0 series lead. This seemed to motivate the Hurricanes and Egor Babenko.
Lethbridge played a great defensive game early, limiting Red Deer to just four first period shots. They also opened the scoring almost seven minutes into the game.
The flood gates opened for the Hurricanes in the second as they scored three times including a short-handed goal. Two of the goals came off the stick of the aforementioned Babenko. Red Deer struggled to provide any offense for the second straight period. After 40 minutes it was 4-0 Lethbridge.
Babenko and the Hurricanes weren’t done, as with less than three minutes played in period three, he had scored his third goal of the night and the hats came raining down.
Nearly four minutes later, the Rebels found themselves with a man-advantage and Michael Spacek scored his second of the playoffs. Later, Evan Polei had his second goal of the playoffs on another power play. That was all she wrote for the game though as the Hurricanes took Game 2, 5-2.
The series was tied at a game each and shifted to Red Deer for Game 3.
2019 – Round 1, Game 3 against Prince Albert
The heavily favoured Raiders had won both games in Prince Albert as the series shifted to Red Deer.
The Raiders dominated the third game of the series by outshooting Red Deer 42-16 and winning 4-2.
Red Deer’s goals came from Brandon Hagel, his fourth of the series, and Reese Johnson. The two goals made it 3-2 before the Raiders scored into an empty net.
Ethan Anders had 38 saves in the loss.
The Raiders took a 3-0 series lead.
