By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Rebels escape Calgary with two points in back and forth affair

Sep 30, 2018 | 7:01 PM

A back and forth affair naturally featured a thrilling finish, including some extra time to decide the winner on Sunday afternoon between the Calgary Hitmen and Red Deer Rebels.

Ultimately, the Rebels won their third game in as many days, including two victories over the Calgary Hitmen.

It was a 6-5 OT final at the Saddledome.

Calgary scored the only goal of the first period, Josh Prokop getting his first of the season only 34 seconds in.

Brandon Hagel would equalize for Red Deer on the powerplay five minutes into the second.

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Mark Kastelic regained the lead for Calgary at the 6:14 mark, a shorthanded marker.

That lead didn’t last long as Jeff de Wit netted his second of the year at 12:12.

However, before the period was out, Zach Huber scored his second to put the Hitmen up again headed to the third.

In the third, Mark Kastelic would score his second of the night and third of the season to give Calgary their first two-goal lead of the evening. It was 4-2 at this point.

Jeff de Wit notched his second of the night and third of the year just 12 seconds later.

But 1:07 after that, Carson Focht put Calgary back up by two with just half a period to go.

This made way for the captain to be the hero.

Reese Johnson scored his first of the season at 15:42 to make it 5-4, and then with just under 90 seconds remaining, Johnson scored again to tie the game and send this barnburner to overtime.

Thirty-one seconds in, Rebels’ import draft pick Oleg Zaytsev received the puck out of the corner and made no mistake beating Stankowski to give the Rebels their third win in a row. For Zaytsev, it was his third goal and fifth point of the season in five games.

Red Deer finished 2/6 on the powerplay and are now 6/21 on the season. Calgary went 0/4. The Hitmen outshot Red Deer 49-30.

Ethan Anders earned the victory making 44 stops in his return to the net after Byron Fancy stepped in Saturday night versus Swift Current.

Dallas Stars draft pick Dawson Barteaux had four assists to give him eight points on the season. Brandon Hagel added another goal and three assists to give him a team-leading 10 points and nine over the Rebels’ current three-game winning streak.

Alexander Alexeyev added two assists to bring his point total to seven and keep alive his five game point streak (or eight if you go back to last year’s playoffs).

Also of note, Carson Sass was hit hard early in the second period. Tristen Nielsen was given five minutes for boarding and a game misconduct. No word yet on Sass’s condition. (Footage below courtesy The WHL)

The Rebels play their fourth game in five days on Tuesday at home to Saskatoon. 106.7 The Drive will have the broadcast beginning at 6:30.