Rebels 4 Hurricanes 2
A week of practice proved fruitful for the Red Deer Rebels power play.
Just a week after missing on 11 man-advantage opportunities in two games, Red Deer rose to the occasion with the extra man in Lethbridge.
Facing the division rival Hurricanes for the first time this season in front of a big crowd at the Enmax Centre, the Rebels spoiled the party and picked up a 5-2 victory.
Rebels netminder Ethan Anders was spectacular with 40 saves, including 16 in the third period as Red Deer was outshot 42-13 in the contest.
Dawson Barteaux and Josh Tarzwell each cashed their first goal of the season, on a struggling power play no less and helped Red Deer to its first win of the WHL campaign. Tarzwell notched a pair of empty-net goals for a hat trick in the victory.
Hurricanes defenceman Oliver Okuliar hit Dylan Cozens off the rush and the 18-year-old first-round NHL Draft pick made no mistake. Cozens wired a wrister off the crossbar and in to score his first goal of the WHL season after he was returned to Lethbridge by the Buffalo Sabres Thursday.
Brett Davis managed to tie the game at one midway through the first. The 20-year-old let a shot go from the blue line and it eluded Carl Tetachuk. Originally the goal was waved off and indicated as goalie interference by Zak Smith, but upon review, it was actually a Hurricanes defenceman who bumped into Tetachuk. Rebels defenceman Mason Ward, in his WHL debut, assisted on the goal.
On just the Rebels second shot of the second period, a Barteaux fired a wrist shot through a crowd to score Red Deer’s first power play goal of the year. It was the first goal of the WHL season for the newly signed Dallas Star.
Tarzwell banged a goal home late in a power play to put the Rebels ahead 3-1 late in the second. It was his first goal of the year and the Rebels’ second power play of the night.
Hurricanes were outshooting Rebels 23-8 midway through the second.
With the goalie out, Calen Addison, a Pittsburgh Penguins prospect ripped a laser of a wrist shot past Anders to get Lethbridge within a goal.
Shortly after the Addison tally, Tarzwell put a goal into the empty net. He added another empty-netter late in the contest to seal the hat trick and the victory.
Red Deer will host the Calgary Hitmen Saturday night at the Centrium with puck drop set for 7 p.m.