(Red Deer Rebels/Rob Wallator)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

66 down, 2 to go

Broncos keep playoff hopes alive with win over Rebels

Mar 18, 2023 | 9:43 PM

With the 2022-23 WHL winding down, the Rebels and Broncos played one last time this regular season on Saturday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

The Brocnos ultimately skated away with a 3-1 win, with both teams wearing mismatched socks in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day (March 21).

The result comes 24 hours after Red Deer shut out Swift Current 2-0.

The season series goes to Red Deer, with the Rebels finishing 3-2-0-0 against the Broncos, with the Broncos 2-3-0-0. Red Deer outscored Swift Current 12-10 over the five games.

This game was also a big one for Swift Current, who sat two points out of the playoff picture, behind Calgary, a team which also won Saturday to remain a pair ahead of the Broncos for that final Eastern Conference spot.

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Scoring summary

Goals were light in this one, but came largely by way of special teams.

Josh Filmon (45th) scored on the power play 6:28 into the first to give the visitors the lead.

Hunter Mayo (17th) tied it up, also with the man advantage, at 12:56 of the opening period.

Late in the first, at 19:16 to be exact, Swift Current retook the lead when Drew Englot (7th) capitalized on the power play.

It was 2-1 after a 20 minute span where there were 31 minutes in penalties handed out, plus a misconduct. That and a five minute major went to the Rebels’ Frantisek Formanek for a cross-checking infraction.

There was no scoring in the second, though Red Deer did take another minor and double minor penalty, not helping their cause of trying to draw even.

In the third, Red Deer came at Swift Current, firing 14 shots the way of Reid Dyck, but the netminder from Winkler, MB stopped them all.

Mathew Ward (25th) scored the insurance marker at 19:18, into the empty net, to seal the deal for the visiting Broncos.

Dyck made 31 saves in the win, while Chase Coward got the start for Red Deer, and stopped 34 of 36.

Shots

SC: 37

RD: 32

Power play

SC: 2/6

RD: 1/3

Three Stars

1st: Reid Dyck (SC) – 31 saves

2nd: Jayden Grubbe (RD) – won 19 of 26 faceoffs (FOW in the game were 35-17 RD)

3rd: Mathew Ward (SC) – 1G (GW), 1A

Up next for the Red Deer Rebels, they close out the regular season with two games against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. First, they battle Friday, March 24 in Lethbridge with a 7 p.m. start. They have the rematch the next night at the Peavey Mart Centrium, again with puck drop at 7 p.m.

The pre-game starts at 6:50 on Friday and 6:30 on Saturday.

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming playoff dates.