Red Deer Rebels' Jayden Grubbe and Brandon Wheat Kings' Chad Nychuk play at the Peavey Mart Centrium Friday Night. (Rob Wallator/Red Deer Rebsl)

By Alessia Proietti

Rebels Lead Series 1-0

Rebels shut out Wheat Kings 5-0 in first playoff game

Apr 22, 2022 | 11:39 PM

The Red Deer Rebels started the WHL playoffs with a phenomenal 5-0 win against the Brandon Wheat Kings Friday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium.

In the first playoff game against each other in six years, both played a hard game for a bustling crowd, with lots of fights, blood, and broken skates. Having not won a WHL championship in 21 years, the Rebels’ last playoffs series in 2019 was over by the fourth game.

However, the 2022 playoffs are already proving very different.

In the first period, although Red Deer’s Ben King was sent to the box for interference on Brandon goaltender Ethan Kruger, the home team was not fazed. Jace Isley scored the first goal for the home team in the WHL playoffs, tapping the puck in right beside the net, at 9:34. The short-handed goal was assisted by Jayden Grubbe and Jackson van de Leest.

After 20-minutes of play, the Rebels were in the lead 1-0 and outshot the Wheat Kings 11-8.

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In the second, the Rebels assured their win early with a series of goals beginning right after the first minute. Blake Gustafson scored with the help of Ben King and Kyle Masters, bringing the score 2-0.

Then a massive fight taking down one referee at 13:28 gave penalties to two Rebels players and two Wheat Kings players. Even so, Red Deer’s Jayden Grubbe made his way around the net, scoring at 14:58. Assisted by Hunter Mayo and goaltender Chase Coward, the Rebels lead was now 3-0.

Less than a minute later, the Rebels’ Talon Brigley scored at 15:55 to make it 4-0 Rebels. The goal was assisted by Hunter Mayo and Blake Gustafson.

The Rebels capitalized on over half of their shots on goal in the second period, scoring three times on five shots, while Brandon managed only six shots on net.

The third period gave the Rebels a power play opportunity when Brandon’s Quinn Mantei was called for slashing. At 11:45, Red Deer’s Arshdeep Bains scored the power play goal with a slapshot. The assist was made by Christoffer Sedoff.

The period ended 5-0 for the Rebels who outshot the Wheat Kings 12-4 in the final frame for a three-period total of 28-18 in favour of Red Deer and Chase Coward earning the shutout.

The Rebels went 1/7 on power play while the Wheat Kings went 0/7.

The Rebels also earned all three stars for the game Friday evening, with Jackson van de Leest receiving the third star, Christoffer Sedoff the second star, and Jayden Grubbe named the game’s first star of the game for his goal and assist on the night.

Coming out with a physical style of play Friday evening, the Rebels’ Jayden Grubbe said it was necessary to start the playoff season right.

“All around, it’s kind of how we’ve been playing all year so it’s important that we come along and play like that the first game,” he said.

The Rebels have now won the first game of the playoffs, needing three more wins to capture the best of seven series against Brandon.

The team will play the Wheat Kings again Saturday night at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Puck drop is 7 p.m. with the broadcast live on 106.7 REWIND radio.