Rockets burn Rebels
Kelowna 5 Red Deer 4 SO
KELOWNA, B.C. — The Red Deer Rebels earned a single point Saturday but fell further back in their quest to earn a Western Hockey League playoff berth.
The Rebels got a late third-period goal from Mathew Dumba to force an eventual scoreless overtime and then dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the Kelowna Rockets.
Meanwhile, the two teams still remaining in the Rebels’ post-season sights — Brandon and Regina — each picked up a victory, with the Wheat Kings burying the visiting Prince Albert Raiders 6-2 and the Pats beating the host Kootenay Ice 4-2.
As a result, Red Deer fell to nine points back of eighth-place Brandon in the Eastern Conference and 10 behind Regina.
The Rebels have three games in hand on the Wheat Kings and have played two fewer games than the Pats.
Red Deer led 2-0 after one period Saturday on Devan Fafard’s first-ever goal and Alex Petrovic’s 10th of the season.
The Rockets responded with the next three goals, with Brett Bulmer connecting in the second period, Damon Severson pulling the home side even at 3:49 of the third stanza and Bulmer notching his 24th of the season just 71 seconds later.
Dumba converted feeds from Petrovic and Turner Elson at 19:28 to guarantee Red Deer a single point.
Charles Inglis was the only one of seven Rebels shooters to beat Adam Brown in the shootout, while Shane McColgan and Severson put pucks past Red Deer netminder Deven Dubyk.
Brown made 28 saves in regulation time, with Dubyyk stopping 38 shots.
The Rebels conclude their four-game road trip today versus the Vancouver Giants.
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