(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

blown away

Rebels fall 5-2 to Hurricanes in Lethbridge

Mar 18, 2022 | 11:40 PM

It was not the Red Deer Rebels’ night as they hit the road for a tilt against division rival Lethbridge, whom they’d gone 4-0-1 against so far this season.

The loss means virtually nothing for Red Deer, at least as far as the standings are concerned, with the Rebels entrenched in second place in the Central Division, and a playoff spot secured with now nine games remaining.

Lethbridge, however, is third in the Central, with Calgary and Swift Current right behind them and within striking distance.

The Canes struck early and often in the first period Friday night.

Easton Kovacs (1st) scored at 6:10, Chase Pauls (3rd) doubled the lead at 8:23, and then Logan McCutcheon (3rd) dug the hole deeper at 13:46, and it was 3-0 after 20 minutes. For the recently turned 17 Kovacs, the goal was his first in the WHL, having played 48 games over this season and last.

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Rebels tender Connor Ungar stopped just five of eight shots in the period.

The Rebels got one back in the second, Ben King (47th) scoring at 12:29 with assists to Arshdeep Bains and Kalan Lind, to make it 3-1. Coming into the game, King and Bains had an identical 91 points — 47 and 45 for King, 33 and 59 for Bains — to co-lead the WHL. King’s 47th also leads the league, seven better than Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats.’

Down 3-1 with a period to play, the Rebels needed a big 20 minutes, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Chase Pauls (4th) got his second of the night at 18:56 of the final frame to make it 4-1.

Just 12 seconds later at 19:08 — obviously too late to salvage a result –Jayden Grubbe (10th) scored for Red Deer to make it 4-2. Jace Isley and Hunter Mayo assisted.

Then with only 17 seconds remaining, Yegor Klavdiev (14th) iced it for the home team.

Red Deer outshot Lethbridge 36-28, and both teams went 0/3 on the power play.

Ben King was named third star of the game, while the Canes’ Logan McCutcheon and Bryan Thomson earned second and first star honours, respectively.

King and Bains now co-lead the WHL points race with a six-point buffer over Kyle Crnkovic of Saskatoon. Logan Stankoven (KAM), Connor Bedard (REG) and Dylan Guenther (EDM) are next, with 80, 79 and 79 points, respectively.

Connor Ungar’s record is now 20-8-1-0, and he sits sixth in the WHL with a 2.35 GAA. Ungar also has the league’s tenth best SV% at .910.

After Friday’s action, Lethbridge, who is third in the Central Division, are yet to secure a playoff spot. They are three points clear of Swift Current and four points up on Calgary, with two games in hand on each of them.

The Rebels (39-16-2-1) play game 60 of 68 Saturday night at home, again versus Lethbridge (24-28-3-1). Puck drop is at 7 p.m. from the Centrium, with the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND Radio at 6:30.