(Lee Lachance-Red Deer Rebels)

By Sheldon Spackman

Rematch Feb. 17 In Edmonton

Rebels drop 3-1 decision to Oil Kings

Feb 16, 2024 | 11:15 PM

After a 6-1 win over the Calgary Hitmen at the Peavey Mart Centrium Tuesday night, the Red Deer Rebels followed that up with a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oil Kings at the Centrium Friday night.

It was a disappointing result for the team, considering such a solid victory earlier in the week.

The Rebels were 5-1 against the Oil Kings heading into Friday night’s game, with Red Deer doubling Edmonton 6-3 during their previous meeting in Red Deer on January 26.

It was the Oil Kings, however, who scored first in this one when Gavin Hodnett tipped in his 14^th goal of the season at 3:39 to put the visitors up 1-0. Gracyn Sawchyn assisted on the play.

After 20 minutes, Edmonton had a 1-0 lead with Red Deer outshooting the Oil Kings 9-7 in the first period.

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The Rebels would then tie the game up during a power play in the second period after Hunter Mayo took a slapper from the point and blew it past Edmonton netminder Kolby Hay at 3:06 to make it 1-1. Mats Lindgren and Ollie Josephson assisted on the goal following a slashing penalty to Edmonton’s Ismail Abougouche at 1:57.

But despite some close calls at both ends of the ice, including a 5v3 man advantage for the Oil Kings at one point, Mayo’s 10^th goal of the season was the only one of the second period, keeping it 1-1 after 40 minutes and Edmonton outshooting Red Deer 14-11 in the middle frame.

The Oil Kings would take a 2-1 lead early in the third period though when Smyth Rebman got one past Rebels netminder Rhett Stoesser, on the power play, at 2:00, following a checking to the head penalty to Red Deer’s Frantisek Formanek just 18 seconds in. Rebman’s fifth goal of the season was assisted by Blake Fiddler and Marshall Finnie.

Then with just over three minutes to play and the Rebels trying to tie it up, Red Deer’s Hunter Mayo was called for hooking, forcing the home team on the penalty kill.

The Rebels managed to kill that penalty but it only left them with just over a minute to pull the goalie and put on the extra attacker in hopes of sending the game to overtime.

Rhett Stoesser was indeed pulled from the net at 18:52 but Edmonton’s Smyth Rebman fired it into the empty net at 19:59 to make it a 3-1 final. It was Rebman’s second goal of the game and sixth of the season, unassisted.

It resulted in some rough stuff and some penalties with under one second remaining, and no doubt will set the stage for a physical rematch in Edmonton on Saturday.

On special teams, the Rebels went 1/4 on the night, while the Oil Kings were 1/6 with the man advantage.

Three Stars:

1. Gracyn Sawchyn – Edmonton. 0 G, 1 A, (+/-) +1.

2. Gavin Hodnett – Edmonton. 1 G, 0 A, (+/-) +1.

3. Hunter Mayo – Red Deer. 1 G, 0 A, (+/-) – 1.

Rebels head coach Derrick Walser was not pleased with his team’s performance following the game.

“To be honest, they played like men and we didn’t play like men. We played like men the last 10 minutes of the third. We gotta start the game on time, can’t take stupid penalties, it’s a broken record,” he explained. “You don’t take anybody lightly, you gotta play hard, you gotta play hard for 60 minutes and right now, we’re starting periods three minutes late and it’s costing us.”

“Then you get on your toes in the third and you take a penalty within 30 seconds into the period and it cost us tonight,” he continued. “You gotta go to the net, you’re going to get your nose dirty, you’re going to get bloody. They played like men in front of their net and we didn’t do enough. We were too busy complaining about it, versus manning up and competing with them.”

The loss drops the Rebels record to 28-18-2-6 with 64 points on the season so far, still good for second place in the WHL’s Central Division. Edmonton improves to 17-32-2-1 with 37 points, and still sixth place in the Central Division.

The Rebels and Oil Kings go at it again at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, for round 2 of the home-and-home series. It’s a 7:00 p.m. face-off.

You can catch all the action live on 106.7 Rewind Radio, starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m..

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