(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Alessia Proietti

rematch Saturday

Rebels lose 5-2 in first of home-and-home series against Hurricanes

Mar 16, 2024 | 10:06 AM

The Red Deer Rebels lost the first game of a home-and-home series against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Friday night, 5-2, at the Enmax Centre.

A slow start for the Rebels yielded the first goal of the night when the Hurricanes’ Leo Braillard scored at 13:09 against Rebels goaltender Chase Wutzke.

Then, with Lethbridge’s Noah Chadwick and Joe Arnsten off for roughing and slashing penalties, Red Deer’s Kai Uchacz took advantage of the 5-on-3 power play with a goal, putting it in backdoor past netminder Harrison Meneghin. His 41^st goal of the season, coming at 16:26, was assisted by Jhett Larson and Mats Lindgren, tying the game 1-1.

Soon after, at 17:48, Landen Ward restored the Canes’ lead, and it was 2-1 Lethbridge after 20 minutes. Each team had eight shots on goal.

Red Deer evened the game 2-2 halfway through the middle frame, with Talon Brigley scoring his 19^th goal of the season from the slot. Carson Birnie and Ollie Josephson got the helpers.

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The Rebels outshot the Hurricanes 10-8 in the second period.

Though things were even headed into the third period, Lethbridge dominated from there on out, starting when Miguel Marques scored the eventual game-winner at 3:51.

At 15:44, Brayden Edwards doubled the home team’s lead to 4-2.

With the Rebels having pulled Wutzke for the empty net with two minutes left in regulation, the Hurricanes’ Dylan Sydor scored in the waning seconds, and the final score was 5-2 Lethbridge.

Lethbridge also outshot Red Deer 11-9 in the third period.

Shots on goal

RD: 27

LET: 27

Power play

RD: 1/3

LET: 0/1

Three stars

1^st: Hayden Pakkala (LET) – 2A

2^nd: Tristen Doyle (LET) – 2A

3^rd: Talon Brigley (RD) – 1G

The loss keeps the Rebels in third place of the Central Division (and fifth in the Eastern Conference) with a record of 33-23-2-6 while the win has the Hurricanes in fourth place (and sixth in the Eastern Conference) at 31-28-5-0. Unlike Red Deer, Lethbridge is yet to secure a playoff spot, though they can do so with a win over Red Deer Saturday, or any Calgary loss over the Hitmen’s final four games.

The Rebels have a chance at redemption against the Hurricanes, and keeping their playoff hopes at bay, on Saturday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. with the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND radio 30 minutes before.

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