The odds of the Red Deer Rebels sneaking into the Western Hockey League playoffs this season took a major hit this past weekend.
The Rebels hosted the Swift Current Broncos at the Westerner Park Centrium on Saturday, March 8. This came just a night after the Rebels were defeated at home by the Eastern Conference's best team, the Medicine Hat Tigers. (Red Deer wore special Spongebob Squarepants-themed jerseys against Medicine Hat.)
Heading into the game against Swift Current, the Rebels were 11 points back of the Broncos in a battle for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Red Deer wasn't able to make up any ground, as the Broncos defeated them 3-2. Swift Current also earned a single point in a shootout loss on Sunday, March 9.
The results from this past weekend pushed the Rebels 14 points back from the Broncos with just seven games remaining on the season. This means the Rebels would need to win all of their remaining games and the Broncos would have to lose all six of its remaining games in regulation in order for Red Deer to earn a playoff berth.
Nishaan Parmar scored his first as a member of the Red Deer Rebels 8:02 into the second period to put his team up 1-0 — defencemen Jack Bousquet and Jace Weir picked up assists on the tally. Swift Current's Brady Birnie answered back less than 20 seconds later.
Former Rebel Trae Wilke fired a rebound past Red Deer goaltender Peyton Shore to score his 15th of the season 12:49 into the middle frame. Wilke and defenceman Hunter Mayo were making their return to Red Deer in this game, after being traded to Swift Current earlier this season.
About two minutes into the third period, Red Deer Rebels forward Beckett Hamilton floated a shot past screened Broncos goaltender Reid Dyck to tie the game at two. The goal was Hamilton's 14th on the season, with the assists going to Jake Missura and Samuel Drancak.
Mayo picked up the secondary assist on a Broncos power play goal from Luke Mistelbacher about eight minuted into the final frame. This goal would prove to be the eventual game winner.
Mistelbacher was named the game's No. 1 star, while Hamilton was the second star and Swift Current winger Clarke Caswell was named third star. Shore stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced. Rebels goaltender Chase Wutzke missed the game due to injury. Dyck stopped 35 of Red Deer's 37 shots in the game.
The Rebels and Broncos will meet up again on Wednesday, March 12 in Swift Current.
Red Deer will return home on Friday, March 14 to host the Prince Albert Raiders, with puck drop set for 7 p.m. This will be the second-last home game in the regular season, with the final one set to be played against the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday, March 22.
