(Photo: Red Deer Rebels/Rob Wallator)

By Troy Gillard

heartbreaking end to unprecedented season

Rebels season ends with 4-3 OT loss to Calgary

May 4, 2021 | 10:59 PM

Ninety days after players arrived in town for COVID-19 quarantine and 85 days they began living right at the Westerner Park Centrium, the Rebels played their 23^rd and final game of the year Tuesday night versus the Calgary Hitmen.

The game was entertaining and eventful from start to finish. But in the end it was heartbreak for the Rebels as they fell 4-3 in overtime to the Calgary Hitmen.

Red Deer came up just short of finishing an otherwise difficult season on a three-game winning streak and ended their campaign with a 4-15-4 record.

“Sometimes in overtime like that, kinda trading chances. I thought if you don’t hit your chances, they’re going to get one. You have to make sure in overtime you bury your chances,” Rebels assistant coach Ryan Colville said post-game.

After Calgary dominated much of the first period and killed off a 5-on-3 Rebels powerplay, Red Deer opened the scoring 16:43 into the game as Mason Ward took a great pass from Ben King and ripped home his second goal past Calgary goalie Brayden Peters.

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The Hitmen came into the game with just four powerplay goals on the season, but they would pull ahead in the game with a pair of powerplay goals in the second period. Sean Tschigerl tipped home his 13^th goal of the year past Rebels goalie Chase Coward at the 16:40 mark. Riley Stotts then shoveled home a rebound for his sixth goal of the year at 18:13.

The Rebels found their legs in the third period and tied the game 2-2 at the 9:14 mark as Ben King converted a great pass from Arshdeep Bains into his team-leading 11^th goal of the season.

It appeared as though Calgary took a 3-2 lead with 6:02 left to play when Stotts pushed the puck across the goal line past Coward. However, video review determined Coward’s trapper glove came off his hand before the puck went in so the goal was disallowed. Coward also suffered a cut to his trapper hand and would leave the game for the rest of the third period. Byron Fancy came off the bench in relief.

Fancy made a couple of big saves to preserve the Rebels lead. However Calgary would tie the game with their goalie on the bench and 46.5 seconds left on the clock. Josh Prokop evened the score with his 10^th goal of the year.

The game went to overtime where Coward, after leaving the game to have his injured glove hand repaired, returned to the crease for the Rebels.

In the fourth 3-on-3 overtime period of the year between Red Deer and Calgary, Adam Kydd scored the winner for the Hitmen with 39 seconds left to play.

Calgary outshot Red Deer 50-35 on the night and was 2-for-4 on the powerplay while the Rebels were 1-for-5.

Tuesday marked the final WHL games for Rebels overage forwards Josh Tarzwell (253 career games with Lethbridge and Red Deer) and Chris Douglas (250 games all with Red Deer). Goaltender Ethan Anders was the third Rebels overage player this season.