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Gamble pays off for Rebels

Red Deer Rebels head coach Jesse Wallin would make a good riverboat gambler.
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Red Deer Rebel Jordie Deagle

Rebels 2 Oil Kings 1 (SO)

Red Deer Rebels head coach Jesse Wallin would make a good riverboat gambler.

Wallin pulled the riskiest of decisions when he replaced starting netminder Darcy Kuemper with Kraymer Barnstable prior to the shootout.

But it was the perfect move as Barnstable stopped all three shots he faced as the Rebels pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings in Western Hockey League action before 4,489 fans at the Centrium Saturday.

“I was more or less trying to change things up as it was getting to be almost a mental thing as we lost the previous three shootouts (all by Kuemper),” explained Wallin. “We were in a number of shootouts in the preseason and Barney was in for them and he won one he was in earlier this season, so we more or less threw a mental curve ball into it.

“When things aren’t working out for you it does become a mental thing and so you have to try something and change it up, and Barney was ready when I called upon him.”

Barnstable didn’t look like a goaltender who was on the bench for close to three hours, as he stepped in and made a pair of brilliant saves out of the three shooters. He got a glove on a labelled drive by Robin Soudek, hen got his leg on a shot by Mark Pysyk after getting a piece of a shot by T.J. Foster that hit the post.

“Being able to step in there and make those saves comes down to mental toughness,” said Wallin. “When I told him to prepare there was no hesitation and he embraced the challenge.”

At the other end Edmonton goaltender Cam Lanigan stopped Landon Ferraro and Willie Coetzee before John Persson scored on a deke to his backhand.

“Darcy played a great game, but he was real positive about the move,” said Barnstable. “I was pretty excited when Wally said my name to get out there. I love the shootout and pride myself in stopping them in practice and the games. I was able to warm up in a hurry, but it was more adrenaline than anything else.

“But really the shootout heightens my focus and I didn’t want to let the team down and let Wally down for making that risky decision.”

After Persson scored Barnstable didn’t want it to last any longer.

“I thought to myself I had to make the save . . . it had to end now,” he said.

The shootout turned out to be the most exciting part of the game, although there were 57 shots on goal — 30 by Edmonton.

The Oil Kings, who are lacking a lot of their offence after trading team scoring leader Brent Raedeke to Brandon and having Tomas Vincour at the World Junior Championship, played close to a perfect road game. They out-worked the Rebels for the most part and took advantage of a giveaway to grab a 2-0 lead in the second period when Foster scored on a shorthanded breakaway.

The Rebels certainly weren’t at their best, but also had problems beating Lanigan, who made several solid saves, including a brilliant glove grab off Alex Petrovic on a rebound early in the second period.

Coetzee was the only Rebel to solve Lanigan in regulation time, scoring an bullet snap shot from the right circle at 3:30 of the third period.

Wallin was happy to take the two points, but knows they need to play better.

“You can’t take away from what Edmonton did as they worked extremely hard and played a very good road game and didn’t allow us to get much going, but they’re a young team and they out-worked us for the majority of the game,” he said. I’m pleased with the two points, but not with the way we played.”

Wallin wants and feel the Rebels will need a better effort today as they travel to Edmonton to face the Oil Kings at 2 p.m. at Rexall Place. Rebels host the Vancouver Giants Wednesday at 7 p.m.

drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com