Lethbridge goalie Carl Tetachuk dives to make a spectacular save on Rebels forward Arshdeep Bains Friday night. (Photo: Red Deer Rebels/Rob Wallator)

By Troy Gillard

special teams struggles continue

Hurricanes double up Rebels 6-3

Apr 9, 2021 | 10:21 PM

Special teams continue to be an Achilles heel for the Red Deer Rebels this season, and injuries are a big reason why.

The Rebels gave up three more powerplay goals Friday night in a 6-3 loss to the Lethbridge Hurricanes in Western Hockey League action at the Westerner Park Centrium.

Red Deer suffered its seventh loss in a row while Lethbridge ended a five game winless drought.

“A couple times we had chances to get pucks out, we didn’t get them down the ice and it was in our net shortly after,” lamented Rebels GM/Head Coach Brent Sutter.

“It’s not like we don’t compete or we’re not working, that part’s there. It’s just that we’re struggling in some areas that we can be better at. I know, because the kids have played better in certain areas.”

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Trevor Thurston opened the scoring for Lethbridge with a one-timer from the point four minutes into the first period that eluded Rebels goalie Byron Fancy.

Alex Cotton made it 2-0 Lethbridge as he ripped home another one-timer for a powerplay goal 6:35 into period two.

Just 14 seconds after Noah Boyko went bar down on Fancy to make it 3-0 for the Hurricanes, Ethan Rowland got the Rebels on the board as he snapped a laser shot past Hurricanes netminder Carl Tetachuk for his third goal of the year 13:36 into period two.

The Hurricanes blew the game open in the third period with three straight goals for a 6-1 lead.

Alex Thacker scored a powerplay goal at 1:54, Dino Kambeitz scored even strength at 4:20 before Cotton followed with his second goal of the game at 7:31.

Josh Tarzwell made it a 6-2 affair when he ripped home his team leading sixth goal of the season on a 5-on-3 powerplay at 13:35.

Rowland then scored his second goal on the night on a beautiful shorthanded breakaway deke with 3:45 left to play. But it was much too little, too late by that point for the Rebels.

“You know, it’s hard. We’re playing with five defence, now we’re down to four probably for the rest of the year. And those guys are all young guys, so it’s a situation where we’ve just got to try to fight through it,” Sutter said, referring to Trey Patterson suffering an upper body injury. “Good chance he’s gonna be done for the year.”

The Rebels now have just four healthy defencemen on their roster – Kyle Masters, Joel Sexsmith, Mason Ward and Jace Weir – and are unable to bring in reinforcements due to COVID protocol.

Lethbridge outshot Red Deer 37-31 on the night and was 3-for-7 on the powerplay while the Rebels were 1-for-7.

Red Deer was originally slated to play the Calgary Hitmen this weekend. However, a positive COVID-19 test for a member of the Hitmen team cohort led to all team activities being suspended. The Medicine Hat Tigers, Calgary’s opponent last weekend, also had their activities suspended.

The Rebels and Hurricanes are back in action Saturday night in Lethbridge at 7 p.m. 106.7 REWIND Radio has the radio broadcast starting at 6:50 p.m.