(Red Deer Rebels/Lee Lachance Images)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

owning the tigers

Rebels notch third straight win against Tigers

Oct 4, 2024 | 10:54 PM

The third matchup of the young season between the Red Deer Rebels and the Medicine Hat Tigers saw the Rebels coming out on top yet again, winning 6-3.

“I think that’s just a statement to how we bought in and how much we want to play as a team, and play connected to shut those guys down and win hockey games,” Rebels forward Matthew Gard commented on the win streak post-game.

The opening frame was punctuated by plenty of turnovers.

A strong opening push by the Rebels resulted in a goal at 4:36 by Gard, assisted by Trae Wilke and Matteo Fabrizi. It was his second of the season and put the team ahead 1-0.

The Tigers fought back, ultimately keeping pace with the Rebels on the shot clock, which read 15-14 Med Hat after 20 minutes.

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But still in the first — at 14:53, Carson Birnie got his first goal of the season with assistance from Jhett Larson and Jace Weir, giving the team a 2-0 lead.

The second period was action-packed, with the Rebels scoring just under two minutes into the frame. Jack Bousquet took a shot, which rebounded off Tigers netminder Jordan Switzer to Gard, who was waiting on the shortside to sneak it in for a 3-0 lead.

Medicine Hat’s Bryce Pickford quickly got one back though, scoring his first of the season at 3:17.

Then, taking advantage of the last 15 seconds of a power play, Red Deer’s Fabrizi got the puck to Birnie, who swept it in at 6:50, regaining the three-goal lead.

Tempers rose as both sides were assessed multiple penalties, including 10-minute misconducts for the Rebels’ Jeremiah Roberts and Tigers’ Kadon McCann.

Medicine Hat then swapped goalies — Jordan Switzer for Ethan McCallum.

The Tigers then scored again at 7:59, with Jonas Woo taking a slapshot from the point, and cutting Red Deer’s lead to 4-2.

Red Deer responded quickly with a 3-on-2 rush into the Tigers’ zone, and Jhett Larson tallied his first goal of the season at 8:52, restoring the three-goal cushion at 5-2.

At 14:09, Wilke scored his first of the season and it was 6-2 Rebels.

Period three was a lot less eventful, at least as far as goals.

Later, Nate Corbet sped into the Red Deer zone and received a hard check into the boards by Fabrizi. Both players dropped the gloves and after a short fight, they received five-minute majors.

About two minutes later, a Med Hat shot was stopped by Chase Wutzke, but a pile-up ensued leading to another scuffle between the Rebels’ Jake Missura and Tigers’ Ryder Ritchie. Wiesblatt and Samuel Drancak also received 10-minute misconducts.

“We were fired up out there for sure, it was awesome,” Gard said, reflecting on the penalties.

One last Tigers push got them a goal at 17:46 — Pickford’s second of the season. But it was too little, too late.

Medicine Hat finished the game with 49 shots to Red Deer’s 28.

Rebels head coach Dave Struch commented on Wutzke’s impressive performance in net.

“We did get some bounces and capitalized on some chances, but they’re a really good team, and they’ve got great players. When our guys don’t have the puck as much, we have to check the right way and we did tonight, and every time they had the big chances, our goaltender was there for us,” he said.

The Rebels hit the ice again Saturday against the Calgary Hitmen at 7 p.m. The broadcast can be heard live on 106.7 REWIND Radio.

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