The Red Deer Rebels play against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday at the Peavey Mart Centrium. (Red Deer Rebels/ Taylor Lachance)

By Alessia Proietti

6-4 L

Rebels lose first home game to the Warriors following eastern road trip

Feb 9, 2024 | 10:36 PM

In their first game back on home ice after an eastern road trip, the Red Deer Rebels lost 6-4 against the Moose Jaw Warriors on Friday at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

The loss marks their sixth consecutive one following the five-game road trip, losing to the Warriors 6-3 during that time.

In the first period, as the Rebels’ Derek Thurston was sent to the box for tripping, Medicine Hat’s Atley Calvert scored a goal on Red Deer’s netminder Chase Wutzke. At 9:03, the power play goal put the team on the scoreboard 1-0.

However, just over a minute later, the tables turned when the Warriors’ Kalem Parker was given a penalty for delaying the game, offering the Rebels a power play opportunity. Red Deer’s Kalan Lind, standing in front of the crease of Medicine Hat goaltender Jackson Unger, tapped in a goal off a rebound from his own shot. Assisted by Kai Uchacz, Lind’s 12^th goal of the season evened the game to 1-1.

Shortly after at 12:13, the Rebels gained the lead 2-1 when Jace Weir scored a goal from the right point. His second goal this season was assisted by Dwayne Jean Jr. and Matthew Gard.

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But when Lind was given a tripping penalty late in the period, the Warriors’ Denton Mateychuk scored a power play goal with just one second left in regulation, tieing the game once again 2-2.

The Rebels were outshooting the Warriors 14-8 after 20 minutes of play.

Medicine Hat took back the lead 3-2 early in the second period when Matthew Savoie scored at 3:46.

To close off, the visiting team doubled their lead 4-2 at 19:12 with a goal by Martin Rysavy.

This time, it was the Warriors who outshot the Rebels in the middle frame (13-9).

The main action took place within the last five minutes of the final period as Talon Brigley scored a goal through the five-hole while inside the crease. Initially waved off, the call for his 13^th goal this season was later overturned. Assisted by Jhett Larson at 15:32, the Rebels were still behind 4-3.

At 16:40, the Warriors’ Calvert scored for a second time this game, pushing their lead 5-3.

And with Red Deer’s netminder Wutzke off the ice, Medicine Hat’s Brayden Yager scored an empty netter with two minutes left to regulation. The score was 6-3 for the visitors.

Red Deer’s Wutzke back in the net, his teammate Carson Birnie managed to tap in his 11^th goal this season in the top shelf at the 19-minute mark, with Carson Latimer and Samuel Drancak getting the helpers. Although the team trimmed their deficit to 6-4, it was not enough to catch up to the Warriors.

Red Deer slightly outshot Medicine Hat 6-5 in the third period.

Shots on goal

RD: 29

MJ: 26

Power play

RD: 1/3

MJ: 2/4

Three stars

1^st: Denton Mateychuk (MJ) – 1G, 3A

2^nd: Matthew Savoie (MJ) – 1G, 1A

3rd: Frantisek Formanek (RD)

Rebels Head Coach Derrick Walser said the team’s errors were in the details.

“First period we played real detailed hockey, and we got casual. Four seconds to go in the period and we just throw the puck away and that turned the game,” he said, noting the stark contrast between the team’s performance from the third and the first periods.

“They got to man up. Sometimes you got to look in the mirror, we all got to look in the mirror sometimes, and it’s not acceptable. Tonight was not acceptable in how we played.”

Walser said the Rebels gave the Warriors, third ranking team in the Eastern Conference, too many opportunities and did not play properly during power plays in keeping the puck low.

“It was the first thing I wrote on the board: discipline,” he said. “We as a group got to dig our heels in as a group and make sure we’re ready to play a full 60-minute; can’t win a game in one period.”

Both teams remain the second place of their respective divisions, Central for the Rebels with a record of 27-17-1-6, and East for the Warriors at 32-16-0-2.

The Rebels will head back on the road tomorrow to play against the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Co-op Place. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. with the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND radio 10 minutes before.

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