Rebels buck last
Rebels 2 Broncos 1 (OT)
When Cullen Morin was penalized in overtime Friday, it appeared that the Swift Current Broncos would buck the Red Deer Rebels for a fourth consecutive time this Western Hockey League season.
But in spite of themselves — and some would say in spite of referees Steve Papp and Derek Zalaski — the Rebels survived the Broncos’ ninth power play of the night, got an overtime goal of their own and beat the visitors 2-1 before a recorded crowd of 4,671 at the Centrium.
With the Broncos’ Cody Eakin off for holding, Willie Coetzee notched the winner at 4:23 of the extra session, blasting a shot from the high point that squeezed through the pads of netminder Morgan Clark.
The power play was only the second of the evening for the Rebels, who were fingered for 10 of 13 minor penalties, including the overtime kneeing infraction on Morin who threw what appeared to be a classic hip check. The Broncos controlled the puck for the majority of the four-on three, but the Rebels hung on and capitalized on the late call on Eakin.
Rebels netminder Kraymer Barnstable was terrific while recording his 11th win of the season against only five losses.
“Our guys worked really hard. We didn’t get the calls we wanted, obviously, but we competed and killed a lot of penalties tonight. We just bore down and got the win late in OT,” said Barnstable, who was clutch when it mattered most.
“A four-on-three is always tough, a little tiring. But our guys did a really good job,” said Barnstable. “I think I only had two shots in the overtime penalty kill and I could see both of them all the way. That’s all you can ask from your guys.
“That’s as close as you can get to a playoff game. The fans were great tonight and they kept us up. It was good to see that kind of support and hopefully we can get that and even more in the playoffs.”
Rebels second-year forward Adam Kambeitz banked a backhand off a Broncos defender and past Clark early in the second period. The lead stood up until 16:16 of the third period when Justin Dowling converted a rebound with Turner Elson serving a kneeing penalty, the third such infraction called against the Rebels.
Barnstable, who finished with 29 saves, was a big reason the Rebels survived the onslaught of penalties, but the likes of Elson, Kambeitz and Jordie Deagle, among others, played an even bigger role with their excellent penalty killing.
“No question, it was a gutsy effort,” said Rebels head coach Jesse Wallin. “It went right down to the wire, it was a hard-fought game against a good and desperate team fighting for a playoff spot. They (Broncos) played a good road game. It was tough to get much going against them, and it’s really hard when you’re in the penalty box (for what amounted to) a whole period of hockey. It was frustrating.
“Our penalty kill was outstanding. We did a great job up the ice. We were tenacious and a did a good job of keeping things to the outside. We didn’t allow them to get set up a lot. I’m really proud of our guys.”
Wallin, still seething inside, then expressed his disgust with the officials, with Papp — who called Elson for the late third-period kneeing penalty that led to the Broncos’ tying goal and also tagged Morin with the overtime infraction — his main target.
“I bit my tongue before and I’m tired of it. I just see a pattern there with Steve Papp,” said Wallin. “If that’s a nine-penalties-to-two game, then I don’t know . . .
“I’ve coached in this league for five years and played in the league for four years, and I have never seen a game that one-sided. He’s the same guy who was here a few weeks ago when Prince George was in town (a 3-1 win for Red Deer Feb. 19 with the power plays eight-to-three in favour of the visitors). I don’t know what his problem is with our team, but at this time of the year it’s really frustrating, really disturbing. I think it’s an absolute joke.”
While they managed to snare an all-important point, the Broncos would have secured two if their power play had been just a little better.
“That’s been a weak spot on our team pretty much all year,” said GM/head coach Mark Lamb. “Our power play let us down tonight, but it also got us the point.”
gmeachem@reddeeradvocate.com
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