Maxim Muranov (left) of the Calgary Hitmen and Talon Brigley of the Red Deer Rebels stare down a faceoff at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alta on Oct. 5, 2024. (Red Deer Rebels/Lee Lachance Images)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

top of the conference

Rebels crush Hitmen, running win streak to four games

Oct 5, 2024 | 10:55 PM

The Red Deer Rebels are hot right now, having won four straight games — the latest being a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen.

After opening the season with an OT loss to Lethbridge, the Rebels have knocked off Medicine Hat in three consecutive matchups before taking down Calgary Saturday at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

The early-season divisional points bode well for down the road; and don’t look now, but the Rebels are on top of the Eastern Conference standings with nine of a possible 10 points from their first five games.

They also boast the conference’s best and league’s second-best penalty kill through the first two weeks.

Scoring summary

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Red Deer broke the ice in this one when winger Steven Steranka (1st) notched his first career WHL goal, and just three days after his 17th birthday, at the 2:30 mark.

At 11:20, Reese Hamilton (1st) tied things for Calgary with a power play marker.

It was 1-1 after 20 minutes, with the Hitmen outshooting Red Deer 11-4.

At 3:04 of the middle frame, Cohen Poulin (2nd) put the home team back on top.

Then, with the type of snipe goalies have nightmares over, Captain Ollie Josephson (2nd) extended Red Deer’s lead at 10:47 with a power-play goal of his own. This goal ended being the game-winner.

After 40 minutes, it was 3-1 Rebels.

Calgary needed to do some work in the third, and they did to an extent, peppering Rebels netminder Rhett Stoesser with 14 shots.

But it was Matteo Fabrizi (2nd) scoring early, at 4:17, to dig the hole deeper.

It wasn’t until there was just 2:04 remaining in regulation that the Hitmen finally broke through, as 16-year-old Hunter Aura (1st) got his first career WHL tally.

But Carson Birnie (3rd) would salt it away with an empty-netter at 19:12, and the Hitmen were down for the count.

Stoesser made 31 saves on 33 shots, and Eric Tu make 16 on 20 in the loss for Calgary.

Shots

CGY: 11-8-14-33

RD: 4-8-9-21

Power play

CGY: 1/5

RD: 1/3

Three stars

1st: Ollie Josephson (RD) – 1 goal, 2 assists, 2 shots, 7/14 FOW

2nd: Matteo Fabrizi (RD) – 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, 2 PIM

3rd: Steven Steranka (RD) – 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 shots, 2 PIM

Up next for Red Deer (4-0-1-0) is the final game of a three-game homestand this Tuesday, and they welcome the Vancouver Giants (3-1-0-0) to town.

Vancouver is coming off an 8-6 win on Friday at home to Kamloops, and they visit Calgary on Sunday.

Their date with Red Deer goes Oct. 8 with puck drop at 7 p.m. The broadcast can be heard live on 106.7 REWIND Radio starting at 6:30.

Red Deer will then play three straight on the road against Medicine Hat (Oct. 9), Edmonton (Oct. 12), and Calgary (Oct. 16), before turning home for three, starting with Saskatoon on Oct. 19.

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