Rebels taken down by T-Birds ahead of lengthy road trip

It was a game that got away from the Rebels on Wednesday night, losing 4-2 to the Seattle Thunderbirds in their final home game before a lengthy road trip.

Red Deer got into trouble early, Brandon Schuldhaus heading to the penalty box at 5:43 for holding. 

Seattle would capitalize as former Rebel Austin Strand notched his 8th of the season just 21 seconds later to make it 1-0 T-Birds.

Late in the period, Alexander Alexeyev wired his first of the season past Liam Hughes to make it 1-1. Shots after the first period were 20-10 Seattle.

Red Deer got into major penalty trouble in the middle frame.

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Ethan Sakowich took a pair of minors, both within the first five minutes. Brandon Hagel and Grayson Pawlenchuk were also sent to the box, but the Thunderbirds could not take advantage.

It was at 14:30 when against the flow of play, Hagel put the Rebels ahead for the first time. His 6th of the season extended his point streak to eight games.

Seattle would take a pair of minors late in the period, but Red Deer was unable to score on either of them.

In the third, it was just past the halfway mark when Nolan Volcan scored the equalizer, his 4th of the season. 

Then, with Seattle’s Dillon Hamaliuk off for boarding, Donovan Neuls cut in on a breakaway and scored a shorthanded marker which would eventually stand up as the game winner.

Sami Moilanen added insurance late flipping the puck into the empty net.

Post-game, Head Coach Brent Sutter didn’t mince words saying the reason the Rebels lost was poor coaching, adding he deployed the wrong guys, and that his, “so-called best players,” weren’t so on Wednesday. Sutter singled out Brandon Hagel and Lane Zablocki, calling their game Wednesday night “terrible.”

Final shots were 39-36 Seattle, though the Rebels trailed 32-20 in that department after 40 minutes. Red Deer’s powerplay was 0/4, while Seattle went 1/5.

Ethan Anders stopped 35 of 38 shots. He was named the Booster Juice third star of the game. T-Birds goalie Liam Hughes was named second star and Donovan Neuls, one goal and one assist, was named first star.

Next action for the Rebels is Friday in Regina, the first stop on a seven game road trip. You can catch the broadcast LIVE on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:50 MT.