By Sheldon Spackman

Rebels overcome Hurricanes in Lethbridge

Mar 9, 2018 | 8:42 PM

In a probable first round playoff preview, the Red Deer Rebels earned a convincing 4-1 victory in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes at the Enmax Centre.

The Rebels halted their two game losing streak while also picking up their first win in Lethbridge in three years.

The game’s opening period saw Lethbridge get on the board first though when Calen Addison snuck in from the point and took a pass from Dylan Cozens, blasting a shot high on Riley Lamb’s glove side to make it 1-0 Hurricanes. It was Addison’s ninth goal of the season and came at the 13:38 mark of the first period.

A little over three minutes later, the Rebels responded when Kristian Reichel potted his 30th of the year at 17:01, sliding it under the pad of Hurricane’s goalie Logan Flodell to make it 1-1 heading into the first intermission.

The second period saw Red Deer grab the lead when Brandon Hagel scored on a shorthanded breakaway to put the Rebels up 2-1. It was Hagel’s 14th of the season and second short-handed goal of the year.

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In the third, Red Deer added to their lead when Mason McCarty slammed in a rebound after Logan Flodell made a great save off a shot from Grayson Pawlenchuk to make it 3-1 Rebels. It was McCarty’s 36th goal of the season and came on the power play at 13:28 following a goaltender interference call on the Hurricane’s Jadon Joseph.

Then with 3:10 left to play, Lethbridge pulled their goalie to put the extra attacker on the ice but Red Deer held off the Hurricane’s surge and added an unassisted empty-netter from Mason McCarty at 18:32 to make it a 4-1 final.

Shots on goal finished 27-26 in favour of Lethbridge with the Hurricanes going 0 for 4 on the power play while Red Deer went 1 for 5.

The win improves the Rebels record to 25-30-10-3 with 63 points and third place in the WHL’s Central Division. Lethbridge drops to 32-29-6-0 with 70 points and are second in the Central.

The Rebels next game is on home ice Saturday night when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers for a 7:00 p.m. face-off at the Enmax Centrium. Red Deer can clinch a playoff spot with a win or an overtime/shootout loss.

If you can’t make it, you can catch all the action live on 106.7 The Drive starting with the pre-game show at 6:30 p.m.