By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Rebels beat Hitmen in Calgary

Jan 20, 2019 | 6:45 PM

The Red Deer Rebels have got that winning feeling once again after earning two points against the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday.

After losing 2-1 on home ice to Lethbridge on Saturday — which snapped a four-game win streak — the Rebels were looking to leapfrog back up the Central Division standings from the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

In the first period, Brandon Hagel continued his torrid pace as one of the WHL’s top-5 point-getters. The Morinville, AB native scored his 27th of the season and shorthanded to boot just 1:49 in.

Then, at 14:59, the Rebels dug the Hitmen’s hole deeper with Alex Morozoff getting his 8th of the year.

Red Deer continued to push the tempo with Arshdeep Bains scoring his 4th of the season in his return to the lineup. The goal, which came at 1:40 of the second period, included an assist from Hagel, putting the forward just three away from tying to all-time Rebels record of 161.

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At 9:50 of the middle frame, Calgary’s Hunter Campbell broke the shutout bid of Byron Fancy — also shorthanded — with his 2nd of the season.

Red Deer put it away at 14:41 of the second as Carson Sass would net his 3rd with the Rebels on the man advantage. Oleg Zaytsev got his 2nd assist of the night on the final goal.

Campbell and the Rebels Cam Hausinger, as well as Hitmen Egor Zamula and Mark Kastelic were all ejected from the game at one point. Kastelic was thrown out late in the second and given a match penalty for head butting.

With the two points, Hagel climbs to 70 on the season in 43 games. At that pace, Hagel would hit the 110 point mark bby season’s end.

The Central Division now looks like this following Sunday’s action: Edmonton (58), Red Deer (57), Lethbridge (56), Medicine Hat (56), Calgary (46), and Kootenay (28). Red Deer has game(s) in hand on all of those teams, except for Calgary, who’ve played the same number.

Byron Fancy made 23 saves to improve his record to 5-4-0-0. Fancy has now won three times in a row since Jan. 9 after going two months without one.

Up next for the Rebels is a home-tilt against Medicine Hat on Friday, Jan. 25. This Wednesday, however, is the Sherwin Williams CHL NHL Top Prospects Game at the Westerner Park Centrium, in which Rebels forward Oleg Zaytsev will be playing.

rdnewsNOW will have coverage ahead of and following the Top Prospects game. The game itself can be heard LIVE on 106.7 The Drive starting at 6:30.