Rebels pounce on the Cougars in rebound win

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Impressively, the visiting side killed both off, but it was mere moments after that when Arshdeep Bains would indeed get Red Deer on the board first.

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The goal was Bains’s 5th of the season and extended his point streak to four games.

PG did eventually get their legs under them and would tie it at the 11:14 mark, Josh Curtis notching his 8th of the year.

With close to four minutes left in the period, Brendan Boyle was sent to the box for a check to the head, but Red Deer could not capitalize. Prince George also failed to score on a late-period powerplay with Alex Morozoff serving two for delay of game.

In the second, Red Deer grabbed the momentum culminating in a penalty shot attempt for leading scorer Brandon Hagel with 7:37 to go in the period. 

Hagel would miss, but score anyway less than a minute later, his 29th of the season and 91st career WHL goal. The tally tied Hagel for fifth on the Rebels all-time goals list with Shawn McNeil.

Then, as Rebel Chris Douglas exited the penalty box, he stripped the Cougars player at the blueline and Red Deer moved in 3-on-1. Douglas dished it to the middle where Cameron Hausinger was waiting to snipe it past Isaiah DiLaura for his 16th.

In the third, Red Deer continued with the offensive output, Brandon Hagel netting his 2nd of the game and 20th of the season at 5:21 while each team had a man in the box.

The Rebels then scored for the second time while 4-on-4, this time Brett Davis getting in on the action at 6:21 with his 15th, and all of a sudden it was 5-1 for the home team.

That was the final score as Red Deer leapfrogs Edmonton, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat for first in the Central Division. Edmonton was idle Saturday, while the others both lost in regulation.

Video courtesy WHL Live

“I thought in the third period we did a really good job of managing and making sure we understood what the score was. Our powerplay didn’t start off great, but our 5-on-5 play was very good,” said Rebels coach Brent Sutter after the game.

“The young kids played well tonight. They got a big first goal for us early, especially after the powerplay seemed to not be going for us. We had a lot of good players tonight. Hausinger was really good, and what are ya gonna say about Hags (Hagel)? It’s just become a common theme. Hags is certainly a catalyst, but we need our best players to be our best players.”

Hagel, who now has 74 points, is the fourth-best points getter in the WHL after tonight as he jumps past Brett Leason of Prince Albert in the points race.

“It was a good game. The points are crucial this time of year, so we’ve got to be happy with it. We just kind of got back to our game, but I didn’t think we were defensively as good as we wanted to be,” Hagel said.

On his shootout attempt, he added, “I was just trying to do the same move as the past couple shootouts, but the puck flipped up on me. It didn’t work out, but I got ’em back. I was a little frustrated I didn’t bury it.”

Ethan Anders earned his 23rd win of the season, 5th best league-wide. He made 26 saves for the victory. At the other end, Lakeville, MN native DiLaura stopped 29 pucks and falls to 4-8-1-1 on the year.

Up next for the Rebels is a date with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Wednesday, Jan. 30 at the Centrium. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. and the broadcast can be heard LIVE on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:30.