Rebels 2 Silvertips 1
The Red Deer Rebels are getting used to extra time on the road.
After their trip from Spokane to Everett was delayed Wednesday by nasty weather in the Pacific Northwest and postponed the game that night, they finally arrived at Angel of the Winds Arena on Thursday.
Both the Rebels and Silvertips must have felt bad for the one night delay, as they treated the fans in Everett to some extra hockey and a five round shootout to boot.
Alex Alexeyev scored the shootout winner and Ethan Anders stopped four of five Everett shooters to snap a six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win. Jeff de Wit scored for Red Deer in the fourth round of the shootout to extend it.
Anders finished with 37 saves and just managed to outduel Silvertips goalie Dustin Wolf, who also stopped 37 shots.
Just a minute and 40 seconds into the second period, Robbie Holmes solved Anders for his 10th goal of the season.
Silvertips netminder Dustin Wolf faced some serious rubber in the opening 40 minutes but stopped all 23 shots he faced. He turned several glorious opportunities through the first two periods and had a personal shutout streak of over 120 minutes heading into the final frame.
Brandon Hagel finally broke through for the Rebels in the third period. After he missed a shorthanded breakaway opportunity early in the period, he made good on his second chance. Hagel burst past the Silvertips’ defenders and fired high glove past Wolf for his 32nd goal of the season at 11:26. The tally also tied Hagel for fourth on the Rebels all-time goal-scoring list at 94.
In overtime, Oleg Zaytsev hit the post and Anders also stood tall in the Rebels net.
Red Deer’s power play struggled in the loss, failing to score on all five opportunities. On the penalty kill, they held the Silvertips without a goal in four chances.
The Rebels are now two points up on the Calgary Hitmen for the top Eastern Conference wild card spot although Red Deer has a game in hand. They are three points back of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for third in the Central Division and four back of the Medicine Hat Tigers for second.
Red Deer heads to Seattle Friday night to take on the Thunderbirds.